


Closet Games

by Darkprism



Series: Monoshizukanohi [21]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Angst, Explicit Sex, Language, M/M, Mild Kink, Toys, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-15 05:16:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 44,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11799201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkprism/pseuds/Darkprism
Summary: Life's good for Abarai Renji and gets better when he meets a mysterious man in a bookstore erotica aisle. But what starts out as a casual fling quickly turns into something more. Who is this man who refuses to tell Renji his name? And what will Renji do now that he's fallen for him?





	1. Chapter 1

Abarai Renji walked down the sidewalk of the Fashion District in Monoshizukanohi with his hands in his pockets and swagger in his step. The sun was high and warm, a light breeze ruffled his red hair currently pulled back in its usual tail, and the oversized, white sunglasses perched on his aquiline nose bore a tiny ram insignia next to the word, HOWL.

It was good day to be Renji.

But then, _most_ days were good days to be Renji.

“Oh, excuse me,” Renji said politely as a woman suddenly turned away from a shop window and nearly ran into the tall redhead. She blushed to the roots of her dark hair, and Renji smiled at her. He tilted his head, let the sunglasses slip down his nose, and winked before continuing on his way. Renji felt eyes on the back of his light green shirt and sweeping across his ass even as he sauntered along. The grin continued to split his handsome face for two more blocks until his phone rang. He pulled out the expensive homing beacon and the grin became a near-laugh. Renji slowed his step as he came to a crosswalk and took the call.

“Abarai.”

“Well?” Kuchiki Rukia’s voice asked with some impatience.

Renji continued to beam as the light changed and he crossed. “I got ‘em.”

“And?” Rukia now sounded more than one level of excited.

“And they’re _perfect._ ”

The loud cheer that came through the speaker made Renji chuckle and pull the phone away from his ear. He put it back when he heard the, “Well, thank the GODS.”

“Got them this morning. Big box. Already out on my shelves and sold six pair.”

“Six?” Rukia asked in disbelief.

“Six! Three pair went to one guy – Uniha? Something…”

Rukia snorted. “Uchiha, Renji. The older or younger?”

“The universe made more than one of those guys? That’s unfortunate.” Renji quick-stepped up a ramp leading to an overlook with a view of a small pond. Remote-controlled boats drifted across the water and a breeze blew the weeping willow branches with a gentle rustle of leaf.

“I forget you didn’t grow up in this city,” Rukia said, papers making noise in the background. It was Saturday, but that didn’t mean Rukia got any time to herself. And Renji would normally be in his store, Howl, selling clothes and now his own line of sunglasses, but he decided to treat himself with a walk at lunch.

“Neither did you!” Renji laughed.

“No, but I’ve been here since I was adopted.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Renji snorted. “By the mysterious second-uncle-cousin’s brother’s husband or whatever.”

Now Rukia snorted. “Just ‘Uncle’ suffices, idiot,” Rukia said affectionately. “It’s what he asks me to call him. And he’s not mysterious, just busy. And usually out of the country.”

“Which explains why I’ve never met him.” It used to be a major sore point to Renji that Rukia never tried to introduce him to her “uncle.” For the longest time, Renji thought she was hiding him from the elder Kuchiki, and finally in a fit of hurt, he’d accused her of as much. Rukia got angry, hit Renji, blushed, and then explained that it wasn’t that she was ashamed of Renji.

No, rather, it was that she was hesitant to ever impose on her uncle. Hesitant to the point that she appeared nearly frightened of the man, which told Renji more than words ever could. Rukia tried to explain anyway, and Kuchiki was, Renji learned that night, cold, stand-offish, extremely busy, and had all the apparent warmth of a shark frozen in a glacier.

Not exactly the kind of guy Renji was dying to meet, after all, and he dropped the hurt in favor of his more standard teasing.

“I don’t ever want the two of you in the same room,” Rukia said with a nearly-audible shudder. “It’s physics: both your egos would try to occupy the same space at the same time, and I’d get to witness spontaneous combustion first-hand.”

Renji hummed in agreement and leaned against the stone wall of a bridge that spanned the lake. “My ego would kick his ass.” Renji grinned as Rukia didn’t deign to comment. “Anyway, I just called earlier to let you know I got the glasses in and that so far they’re a hit.”

“Knew they would be.” Rukia paused. “I’m proud of you.”

Renji grinned. “Aw, now don’t go getting all sentimental on me, ya hard ass.”

Rukia laughed. “Speaking of, I need to let you go. Didn’t answer earlier because there’s a big banquet going on at the Palace later tonight, and we’re on detail.”

“Donning the suit and earpiece and going out to look imposing, eh?”

“Somebody has to keep the damned peace,” Rukia grumbled. “Not like the police do any good unless the Hyuuga tells them to pay attention.”

Renji rolled his eyes. It wasn’t nearly as bad as all that, but Renji didn’t dare contradict her. He felt too good about life and personal liberty at the moment to start a debate on how the Prime Minister and his heir ran the city. “If anyone can protect this town’s elite, it’s Usagi Security.” Renji’s mouth twitched.

“If you make fun of the name one…more…” Rukia warned.

Renji made placating noises. “I would never. Still have the bruises from last time.”

“Yes. You do.” Rukia pulled away from the phone, and Renji heard her say something to an employee.

“Go. Save the world. I’m gonna finish my walk and then go rake in cash on the killer eyewear.”

“Congratulations, Renji. Good news.”

“Thanks,” Renji said, but she’d already hung up.

With a sigh, Renji pocketed the phone and just watched water and boats and sunlight for a while. It’d been a very long road to success and stability for Renji and Rukia alike. Both orphans in the same foster home, the two became fast friends. Rukia was adopted, Renji was not, but they managed to reconnect after Renji turned eighteen. Rukia got Renji his first job – busboy – and helped him find a place to live when he moved to Monoshizukanohi. It’d been a direction back then – something to do with himself – and Renji needed it.

Between Renji and Rukia, friends weren’t hard to find, and even now Renji hardly went a handful of days without seeing Ichigo, Shuuhei, Ikkaku, Kira, Yumi…the list continued. Rukia knew all sorts of interesting people through her somewhat-erratic interaction with her uncle, and Renji’d grown to like Urahara, Ukitake, and Shunsui. And when Rukia and then Renji took massive leaps of faith and opened their own businesses, friends were the first on the list for partners and employees.

Despite their beginnings, Renji mused, he and Rukia had ended up with more family than most people had through the standard biological method. And on days like today when the sun was high, life was easy, and Renji couldn’t stop smiling, he liked to take a few moments to thank whatever powers might be listening for that long list of comrades in arms.

Below Renji there was a loud splash, and Renji looked up in time to see a kid – probably around ten or so – stand up in the shallow water with a shocked expression. Behind the boy, a man tried very hard not to laugh and asked if his son was okay. The kid began to giggle, retrieved their boat, and Renji heard Dad tell son not to tell Mom.

“We’ll go find some dry clothes and some ice cream,” Dad said.

There was a time, long ago now, when the scene would have made Renji miss things he’d never had. Now, however, it made him smirk and thank the invisible powers that be for what he had. Renji shook his head and turned to continue his walk, hands back in the pockets of his gray slacks. He liked them because they managed to combine business casual with punk rock: nice material, well-cut, and tiny chains ran from various points around the pockets and legs for that extra touch. Howl was full of such clothes: the best of the corporate world meets Leather Daddy Rockstar. Sales were good and kept Renji in condo, car, and sake. He definitely couldn’t complain.

Whistling, Renji walked off the bridge and down the wide sidewalk passing storefronts and tourists. He politely shook his head when an overly-attractive man with a French accent held out a bottle of perfumed lotion and asked if he could have a moment of Renji’s time. As much fun as being rubbed down by a hot guy with an accent could be, Renji’s feet carried him away and he let his body take the lead.

Six blocks later and Renji smiled a little to himself as he approached a familiar shop front. Cain’s Books was one of Renji’s favorite stores – though not for the merchandise. Renji wasn’t particularly interested in reading unless said reading material contained articles on high fashion or images of naked men. And then a picture was worth more than a few thousand words.

Actually, such pictures were usually worth a hand, a fist, a pinch of lube, and a certain personal relaxation technique that Renji rather enjoyed.

Cain’s Books did have its fair share of Renji’s preferred reading material, but more importantly, it had something else that Renji liked to peruse: high-class, well-educated, spectacle-adorned (if Renji got lucky), clientele.

To say that Renji had a “type” wouldn’t be accurate. He liked to fuck men, enjoyed a wide variety of them, and generally thought that continually expanding his palate was good for the soul. And the cock.

However, Renji had a major soft spot – er, well, make that raging hard-on – for hot, semi-geeky guys. The tall, lanky, nerdy boy in desperate need of a good blow job got Renji warm under the damned collar and fly, and it didn’t hurt that those guys were typically infinitely grateful for Renji’s attentions. Renji was all-too-happy to tell his bookworm boy toys _exactly_ how they could repay him.

Not to mention the nerdy type usually had quite the vocabulary and could dirty talk like fucking champs when given the proper motivation.

Renji harbored serious dirty librarian fantasies and Cain’s Books was one of Renji’s underground hot spots for finding willing partners in crime. There was a back storage closet with a sturdy lock that Renji’d used more than once to explore the finer points of anatomy and fucking physiology. He was pretty sure there was a camera in there, but Reggie Cain – the owner – was family and had a thing for redheads.

It was a sweet day in Renji’s world when fetishes could meet and mingle to find mutually beneficial outcomes.

Smirking to himself, Renji pushed his outrageously expensive sunglasses up into his hair and yanked open the bookstore’s wooden door. A soft bell clanged, and a clerk looked up from the counter to nod at Renji. The counter was covered in old tomes and paperbacks, and the display case below it held several leather-bound volumes set up on racks. Cain’s store offered everything from Stephen King to rare, skin-bound volumes of forgotten lore.

And, Renji thought, the second would probably appeal highly to the author of the first. He chuckled a little and made a show of pausing to browse the “Just In” stand at the front of the shop.

Cain’s Books did not adhere to the standard chain bookstore layout. The rows were not in neat and organized lines; instead, shelves were arranged in long, narrow corridors that seemed more maze than anything else and often ended in a wall. The shop was at least three times as deep as it was wide, and the upper floor was open to below for part of that depth. Ladders let staff access the upper reaches of shelves in the open two-storey section, much like an antique library. A narrow, wooden staircase with a rope crossing its bottom, (“For Cain and His Brothers Only” read the sign) was against the far right wall and led up to offices and storage. The whole place smelled like parchment, day-old coffee, incense, and dust.

Renji breathed in deeply and slowly weaved through the various stands selling pens and bookmarks and small Buddha statues to make his way to aisle one. A wooden sign hung down and told Renji what kinds of books could be found on that aisle, but Renji didn’t pay it any attention. His eyes roved over the shelves as he went on alert for a certain kind of someone.

Because it occurred to Renji that some celebrating was in order. After all, he was wearing his own sunglasses for the first time in his life; it’d only been a goal of his for, oh…twelve years or so. And what better way to celebrate than a dirty fuck with a naughty boy who could quote Renji Shakespeare and _Playgirl_ with unerring accuracy?

Spotting a potential candidate, Renji paused and observed the guy from the corner of his eye. He was young – freshman in college, perhaps? – and blond. Renji didn’t mind blond, but in truth he preferred brunettes. But it was a moot point because after a second or two, a pretty girl with horn-rimmed glasses came up and wrapped her arms around the boy’s slim waist.

Strike one. Not a big deal; just because Cain’s store was popular amongst the gay community didn’t mean everybody played for the same team. Renji sauntered by the couple with a little smile. Aisle one ended abruptly with a small wall of books and a sharp turn to the right. Renji followed the path, cutting behind the second aisle to get closer to the storage room door. It was offset and hidden in shadow, shelving nearly concealing it entirely. Renji looked at it with a kind of longing, and then continued skimming the rows.

Strike two was a brunette boy who smiled at Renji and checked him out before a small group of loud kids interrupted their non-verbal games. Renji retreated again, thinking maybe today just wasn’t the day to fish for naughty men in stacks of old books. There was only one row left, and Renji knew it was a short aisle. But he also knew the stock: erotica. Aisle seven was in the back of the store, dead-ended in the middle, and was intentionally poorly lit.

Renji did enjoy Cain’s sense of humor.

Leaning casually against the side of a bookshelf, Renji slowly let his eyes roam over a shelf or two while he leaned in to gauge the situation. The aisle was empty save for one figure: male, slight of form, and holding a heavy volume that seemed to contain nothing but text.

Stepping forward, Renji turned his head just slightly and sucked in a breath he hoped to God wasn’t as bloody obvious as it sounded to his own ears.

The man was beautiful – and Renji didn’t think that about many guys, really. In fact, this guy might be the first one to inspire that word off the bat in Renji’s entire and extensive history. Long, dark hair flowed down to the man’s shoulder blades, the ends razored and obviously styled. Pieces of midnight were caught in small, silver beads that made artistic rows over the man’s ear and along one side of his head, and Renji had to swallow just at that. The effect made his mouth a little dry.

Flawless, pale skin covered high cheekbones, a long, slim nose, and a strong jaw. Renji stared at the small, pink mouth for an unhealthy amount of time before shifting to pull a book off the shelf in front of him. It didn’t do to be too obvious this early in the game, and Renji pulled his eyes away with effort.

But even in mere side-cast glances, the man was stunning. He was slender but with broad shoulders to balance the small waist. He wore a closely-tailored, black leather jacket that stopped at his belt and covered a dark gray shirt. The pants were black and also obviously tailored – Renji’s eyes narrowed and thought that the entire outfit looked made for this man’s body, actually. Renji had an eye for that sort of thing, and none of the brunet’s clothing was off the damned rack. Money, taste, _and_ looks…Renji licked his lips.

But the heart-stopper of the whole gig were the nearly-dainty, frameless glasses that perched on the man’s nose like a personal Renji tease.

Really now: that just wasn’t bloody fair. He could already hear this man whispering insanely dirty things to Renji while he buried himself to the hilt in that – Renji stepped back to get a better view – yes, perfectly delectable ass.

Or hell, the man could fuck Renji and let him do the dirty lip work. So long as the activity involved the brunet, Renji didn’t think he’d care who did what.

The man turned a page and shifted his weight, apparently oblivious to Renji. It did occur to Renji that this vision of male flesh might be straight; but honestly, he didn’t care. Renji didn’t see a wedding ring, and Renji wasn’t sure he’d walk away if he did. This was the kind of man one thanked the gods for making, thanked them again for being able to touch, and just prayed one survived any sort of physical contact long enough to really savor it. Hell, Renji just wanted to get close enough to smell him so he could add that to sensory memory for later.

Putting the book back, Renji casually walked down the row, eyes on the spines of books in front of him. The fact that this man was on the damned erotica aisle made Renji’s cock stir and throat contract, but he tried to maintain his focus.

For a few minutes, Renji contented himself with picking up a slim volume of images – thankfully, Renji managed to pick a book full of naked men as opposed to accidentally grabbing something he didn’t want to see – and standing a few feet away from the engrossed man. No one came looking for the brunet, but the man had yet to even glance up to acknowledge Renji. That worried him a bit as to what his chances actually were, but hell; this was already a gamble. Renji was far from unattractive – far, _far_ from it, his ego asserted – but this guy could have his pick of gods or demons to share his bed.

When Renji simply couldn’t stand inactivity any longer, he put the book back and made the first of several moves in a choreographed dance designed to test the waters. Renji took two steps closer and turned, looking at the shelf behind them. The position let their shoulders nearly touch, and Renji’s libido did a jig when the man didn’t move away. the brunet stood just under six feet, Renji calculated, adjusting his measurement to account for the man’s shiny shoes.

Sliding his hands into his pockets, Renji bent down as though looking at something on a lower shelf. He pivoted his body so that his torso was nearly level with the brunet’s ass, and then Renji paused. Straight men usually got good and uncomfortable about the time a small turn of Renji’s head could let him get an eyeful of derrière, and again, the beautiful man stayed still. He even turned a page and shifted his hips as if Renji weren’t even there.

Smiling and trying not to grin, Renji stood back up, letting the movement bring him even closer. This time his shoulder did brush the brunet’s, and when the man looked up from his book, Renji’s eyes were waiting to meet his gaze.

“Sorry,” Renji said quietly, trying not to gasp at the dark gray eyes that met his rather normal brown. Granted, the brown was unusual when paired with his red hair, but still…

Thunderstorm eyes with thick lashes blinked at Renji once from behind the glasses, and Renji reminded himself to breathe.

The man said nothing, merely nodded a little with a neutral expression and looked back at his book. Renji turned again, facing the same direction as the brunet, and looked at him openly for a second or two. He saw the man’s eyes shift over the page – not reading but sensing – and then he tucked a strand of hair behind one ear and leaned away slightly. Renji saw the man’s ear shift as his jaw muscles moved, and Renji’s heart began to pound a little harder and pushed blood south.

“Excuse me,” Renji said. the brunet looked up at him again, but Renji merely reached in front of the brunet and removed a book from a low shelf directly across from the brunet’s crotch. Renji looked at the title, made a show of frowning, and then crouched down next to the brunet’s leg. Now a turn of his head would give him a face full of fly and belt buckle, and Renji let his long fingers linger on the spines of several books, seeming to search.

“Something in particular you’re after?” the brunet said, and the hair on the back of Renji’s neck stood up at the sound of the carefully modulated, low rumble of a voice that came from the man next to him. It was _exactly_ the kind of voice such a beautiful person should have: sexy, aristocratic, vaguely unimpressed.

Renji turned his body, knee popping, and looked up at the man. Gray eyes looked down, a tiny hint of curiosity in them but otherwise his face was unreadable. No matter; Renji’d conquered the hard-to-get territory before, and he loved a challenge. Renji smiled.

“Just browsing for now.”

“I see,” the brunet replied.

Renji stood, purposefully putting himself too close to the other man. “Any suggestions?” Renji asked, giving the other man a playful look.

“That would depend on what you’re seeking,” the man answered with just the hint of a twitching eyebrow.

Renji rolled his eyes up as though thinking about that. “True enough,” he agreed. Then he nodded at the tome the man held in both hands. “Whatcha got there?”

The man closed the book and showed Renji the cover, which was great and all, but useless: Renji didn’t read French.

But fuck did he _love_ it that this man did.

“Letters from poets of the 17th century,” the man explained.

Renji made an appreciative noise and met the man’s eyes again with a small smirk. “Dirty letters?”

The remark earned Renji a tiny smile in reply. “Some of them.”

The way the man’s mouth formed words was enough to get Renji hard.

_Damn…_

“You got any favorites so far?” Renji asked conversationally, shifting a little to try to ease the pressure behind his zipper.

“One or two,” the brunet replied.

“Show me?” Renji asked, stepping sinfully close to the brunet. His chest brushed the man’s shoulder and a twitch of Renji’s hip would have his front colliding with the pretty man’s backside. Renji relaxed his shoulders and looked down at the book in the brunet’s hands. Renji’s stance was a challenge, a warning, a blatant show of interest. If the brunet wanted him to back off? Now was his chance to let Renji know.

For a second, the man did nothing, and Renji thought he’d misread the situation. This close he could hear the brunet breathing – and it sounded a little fast. He smelled like…Renji couldn’t describe it. Something faintly floral mixed with herbs and soap; cultured garden and expensive hotel.

Then the brunet opened the book and flipped pages with a hand that looked steady, but Renji stared at the long fingers and noticed they shook ever-so-slightly. It could be natural tremors, but Renji didn’t think so. This man wasn’t Renji’s usual nerd-boy-in-a-bookstore fare; this man was much, much more than that. Corporate, probably, and very used to being in charge and in control. Renji knew the type – intimately – and such a man would never let his fingers shake unless something or someone truly got to him.

_Baby, you’ve only begun to tremble for me…_

Renji smiled and leaned down to look at a page when the brunet stopped turning. He let the brunet feel Renji’s breath on his neck and enjoy the proximity of Renji’s cheek to his own before finally sighing a soft chuckle. “Ya know, I just remembered: I don’t speak French.”

“That would make reading this passage somewhat difficult,” the brunet said, voice soft.

Renji nearly told the man to read it to him – just to hear that voice form the foreign syllables – but Renji’s body demanded more, and perhaps it was time to make the final move.

“I think I saw a book of letters near the back. Close to the storage room on this level.” Renji didn’t move a muscle as he spoke. He waited.

“Oh?” the brunet asked. Renji wasn’t sure he’d ever heard more emotion and sentiment crammed into a single word in his life. The man seemed…uneasy. Cautious, maybe? That made sense; not everybody fucked strangers in bookstores. Renji got that.

But there was more hidden in that single question…But now was not the time to try to figure all that shit out. The man seemed to play to Renji’s hand, and Renji’s cock protested that foreplay was nice and all, but could Renji please get to the part where they got to touch the pretty man, already?

“Yeah,” Renji said. “You know – that room in the back. Small. Dark. Usually locked. It’s got shelves around it?”

“I recall its location, yes,” the brunet replied. Renji smiled at the formality and turned his head just slightly so that their cheeks brushed.

“I could show you the one I’m talking about.” Room or book, Renji didn’t feel the need to clarify.

There was another long pause measured in the hard thud of lust, and Renji made a soft noise when the brunet stepped away to return the book of French letters to the shelf. He kept his back to Renji, and if Renji didn’t know better, he’d think there was some sort of internal war going on right in front of his eyes. Hell, he _didn’t_ know better, and Renji watched with a kind of objective patience. Renji knew the man was intrigued; if nothing else, the guy hadn’t told Renji to go to hell. Not yet, anyway. Renji didn’t know what the hell all the hesitation was about – he sensed it wasn’t some sort of sexy flirtation; quite the opposite, really. So he waited.

“Could you?” the man asked, turning, finally. He removed his glasses and tucked them into the pocket of his jacket. His expression was still nearly unreadable, but his mouth drew a thin line.

_I want to get him off, not torture him. Jesus._

But Renji held his ground. “Gladly,” he said. Carefully and with eyes on the other man’s, Renji reached out a hand and clasped his fingers around the brunet’s slender wrist. The lovely man’s face was marred by a tiny frown for half a second, and then it was gone. Gray eyes met Renji’s, and there was challenge there.

“Come on,” Renji said, gently tugging the man along. Renji turned and felt the other man easily match his stride. In a few short seconds, Renji’s free hand clutched the storage room’s doorknob and found it unlocked. No one was there to see Renji open the door and hold it, gently guiding the brunet inside. Renji’s eyes scanned behind them one last time and then he stepped into the room and let the door fall closed. With an audible click, he threw the lock and leaned on the door before reaching up with a practiced hand to pull a chain above his head. the brunet flinched and looked up when thin, watery light filled the space.

The light swung back and forth, bare bulb casting just enough illumination not to knock shin into boxes. Stacks of books covered the floor, a set of shelves full of cleaning supplies took up one wall, and a sink jutted out from the wall opposite the shelves. A mere three feet wide, the room didn’t leave much space to maneuver, which Renji liked. Operating in close quarters meant more touching and slick skin-on-skin. There was no such thing as too much of a good time, after all.

Renji stepped forward when the brunet’s gaze dropped from the light above to the wall ahead. Putting a light hand on the other man’s hip, Renji leaned down and rested his mouth on the brunet’s shoulder. The swinging light swayed and rocked their bodies into shadow and light in a slowly-steadying display, and for a second or two, Renji was content to just breathe in the brunet’s scent.

“What do I call you?” Renji finally asked, mouth shifting closer to the slightly-smaller man’s neck.

“Most call me, ‘Sir,’” came the reply with no small amount of irony. More for his own position than anything to do with Renji, he thought.

“I’m not most,” Renji said, and he let his lips just brush the man’s throat. the brunet gave no response, so Renji did it again.

“My name-”

“Don’t want your name,” Renji said, cutting the other man off. Names were too personal for closet fucking.

That gave the brunet pause, and Renji let him consider while he placed light kisses on the man’s skin.

“Byaku,” he said a little breathily after a second or two.

Renji sighed. “I’m Ren, Byaku.” Renji gently sucked Byaku’s neck, and this time the smaller man tilted his head just slightly to let him do it. Renji grinned.

“Lean against the wall,” Renji said, more of a suggestion than a command.

“What?” Byaku asked, head turning a little to look at Renji.

“Like this.”

Renji’s hands gripped, pulled, and shoved on Byaku’s body with sudden, swift movements that made Byaku grunt in shock. Renji put Byaku’s forearms on the wall and leaned heavily against Byaku’s back, hands sliding beneath the leather jacket to touch and explore. He jerked the shirttail out of the slacks and started undoing buttons with one hand and belt with the other. Renji could feel a slight tremble in the hardened body pressed against his; could feel Byaku’s chest stop moving as he held his breath. The man was intoxicating at a distance; with Renji’s hands on him, Byaku was man-shaped nirvana.

Lost and content in his exploration, Renji didn’t notice anything was amiss until Byaku let out a shaking breath, shivered, and then seemed to clamp down on himself.

“No fucking,” Byaku said, head resting on his arms. His voice was cold and clear, and he spun in a blur to face Renji. Byaku’s back hit the wall with some force, and he glared at Renji like he might deck him.

Renji blinked. Well…that threw a wrench in the works, but no matter. There were plenty of other things, after all.

“Sure,” Renji said with a shrug, coming closer again. His fingers went back to undoing buttons, eager to see more of that pale skin. Renji leaned in but Byaku jerked his head away with a low noise.

“No kissing.” He said it like he was waiting for the argument. Renji smirked thinking Byaku’d be waiting for a long time. This wasn’t Renji’s first time in a closet with somebody who had rules.

“Boyfriend?” Renji asked casually, spreading the shirt a little roughly and letting himself begin to learn the lines and contours of Byaku’s abdomen. Warm ridges of muscle and tension stood out beneath Renji’s fingertips and palms, and he licked his lips.

“No,” Byaku replied through grit teeth. Renji snorted.

“Anything else I can’t do?” Renji asked.

Byaku didn’t say anything, and Renji tore his eyes away from a perfectly sculpted stomach to watch Byaku’s mouth open, close, and then clench. Renji sighed.

“Just yell or somethin’ if you don’t like it.” Bitch probably had a partner, and normally Renji would stop at this point to keep things from getting unnecessarily complicated.

But the skin under his hands was soft, smooth, and covered hardness in a delicious sort of way. So instead of calling it quits, Renji shoved a knee between Byaku’s, grabbed Byaku’s hips, and pushed up with his leg and pulled down with his hands while Renji’s mouth found neck and nibbled.

The move earned Renji a gasp, and he felt an unsure arm come up to clutch at his back. Renji hummed and forced Byaku’s head to one side before kissing and tonguing the taut tendon of Byaku’s neck. He tasted better than he smelled, and Renji sighed happily over the damp flesh under his lips. Gently, he grazed teeth and bit down while his hips ground Byaku into Renji’s thigh. He felt the hard-on there and quickly maneuvered them both so that Renji’s hips undulated and rubbed his cock into Byaku’s with deadly accuracy.

“Shit,” Byaku muttered, fingers digging into Renji’s back. Hearing such a word in that low voice tinged with lust and something akin to shock made Renji’s cock jump.

“Yeah,” Renji growled and ground himself against the other man just to hear Byaku’s breath catch. Then Renji slid his body down over Byaku’s so that his tongue could taste collar bone, sternum, and pectoral. He bit lightly into the sweet spot where the muscle swelled and then lowered his mouth to a nipple. Wasting no time with teasing, Renji bit, sucked, and worried at Byaku’s flesh, mind going pleasantly numb. God but he wanted to fuck this man against the wall. Wanted to make him moan, say Renji’s name, taste his cum.

“Ren-!” Byaku’s hand grasped Renji’s hair and Renji moaned.

“Pull if ya want to,” Renji said between licks as he moved to the other nipple. “Fuckin’ love it.”

Renji’s lips clamped over Byaku’s other nipple, and when Byaku finally stopped just holding his breath and started gasping for air in fast pants, Renji felt a surge of triumph. The hand in his hair tugged experimentally, and then yanked hard enough to pull Renji’s mouth away from the abused flesh between his teeth.

Renji looked up and his eyes glazed further at the sight of Byaku breathing entirely too fast and hard for such simple things. He looked nearly angry, teeth bared and dainty nostrils flaring.

Grinning, Renji stood back up and kept his eyes on Byaku’s as he reached for his back pocket. Retrieving two condoms – one never knew when opportunity would arise and need to be covered in latex – Renji’s expression grew nearly vicious.

“Show me your cock,” Renji ordered, tearing the corner of one foil packet.

Byaku swallowed, his head going back against the wall. But his hands reached down and made fast work of belt and button and zipper. Renji didn’t look immediately once Byaku released his erection from its clothing confines; instead he watched stormy eyes and licked one corner of his own mouth deliberately.

“You,” Byaku said, voice firm despite the fact that Renji could see his legs shake.

Slowly, and with his eyes burning holes into Byaku’s retinas, Renji slid one hand down and undid his pants. He withdrew his own length with a soft hiss, and thought it was entirely too early in the game to be this aroused.

Byaku seemed to be having the same problem, though, because at the sight of Renji’s thick cock, a pale hand gripped a slightly-longer and slightly-narrower length and stroked. His cheeks hollowed as Byaku fought to hold back noise.

With a low laugh, Renji enjoyed Byaku stroking himself and watching as Renji worked the first condom down over his dick, grimacing a little as he did so. Barrier finally in place, Renji let his head fall back and his eyes close as he tortured his sheathed cock with full strokes and let himself softly groan. He was immediately rewarded with a choked gasp from Byaku. Renji opened his eyes and saw the man shiver against the wall, and Renji knew he was close.

“Not yet,” Renji said and gripped the wrist of Byaku’s stroking hand and threw it aside. Byaku let him, eyes at half-mast and teeth working his lower lip in a painful suck-and-bite.

“You’re so…” Renji stopped speaking and stepped closer, erection pressing into Byaku’s stomach and empty hand coming up to brace against the wall. Remembering the rules but only barely, Renji leaned in and kissed Byaku’s cheek with a soft press of lips. The man was gorgeous in his undone state, and Renji kissed Byaku’s face over and over again: chin, corner of lips, tip of nose, cheekbones. Byaku made no noise whatsoever, but he didn’t breathe, either, and his eyes closed under the attention. Later, Renji would be unsure what made him do it but think it was probably the best move he made during the entire encounter.

With a last light kiss to Byaku’s temple, Renji once again slid down Byaku’s body, this time not stopping until his knees hit the floor. He ripped open the other packet and tossed aside the wrapper, putting the dry latex against his lips. Above him, as though understanding what Renji meant to do, Byaku’s breath stuttered and he let loose a moan that made Renji shudder.

Renji shifted and gently grasped Byaku’s cock with one hand and lined up mouth, condom, and head. Renji used his hand to get the roll started and then covered Byaku’s dick with a tight press of lips without preamble or further delay. Renji unrolled the condom with a painfully slow glide and harsh clamp of his mouth. He relaxed his throat along the way, and his nose touched hair and his lips touched his own steadying hand before he stopped briefly only to pull back slowly.

“ _Christ,_ ” Byaku managed, the word half cry and half hiss. He breathed like oxygen was going out of style, and one of his hands buried itself in Renji’s hair. With a frustrated noise, Byaku tugged and loosened the band holding up the tail, and Renji’s eyes rolled in their sockets when he felt a fierce grip pull at his scalp.

One hand going down to grasp his own length, Renji pulled back further only to bob forward and set a brutal rhythm on Byaku’s cock. His hand worked anything his mouth couldn’t, and Renji’s fingers brushed and teased tight balls in between strokes.

Byaku made sounds low in his throat that quickly escalated to almost-inaudible whimpers. Renji rolled his gaze upward and got an eyeful of sweating, panting, blissed-out Byaku. Renji stroked himself faster and watched the man struggle to find a hold on control and fail, head finally falling forward as he groaned. Damp eyes met Renji’s and in the first flash of pure emotion, Byaku looked desperate, terrified, and intensely turned on.

Renji responded with a tight suck and firm press of his tongue along the entire underside of Byaku’s length.

“Holy Gods,” Byaku said softly. Then, harsher and louder – a warning shout: “ _Ren!_ ”

Renji moaned as he felt Byaku come beneath the thin latex, and he loved how Byaku’s legs nearly gave out and his feet slid on the floor to catch himself. Renji worked his mouth and throat as though he was swallowing, wishing he was drinking the beauty dry. And that thought, Byaku’s uneven breathing, and Renji’s hand were enough to send him over the edge. Renji pulled away to gasp a sharp cry, forehead falling to rest against Byaku’s leg as Renji came with several painfully hard jerks of his fist. Byaku pressed Renji into his thigh, the hand in Renji’s hair sharply pulling once.

“Shit!” Renji hissed and shuddered. The hand in his hair relaxed and stroked thick strands as both men panted and tried to coax saliva back into dry mouths. The room smelled of sweat and flowers, and Renji smiled a little at the odd combination.

Byaku shifted first, hand falling away from Renji as he turned his back began to clean himself up. Renji sat back on his heels and yanked off the used rubber, tying it and throwing it into a rather-convenient trash can under the sink. Standing on unsteady legs, Renji went to the sink and turned on the water, gripping the porcelain for a second before splashing his face.

A stiff presence and a sharper smell of odd fragrance made Renji straighten up, water still running. Byaku made use of the trash bin, and then cupped his hand beneath the water before leaning down and sipping at it. He rinsed out his mouth and then spat, and Renji absently brushed back Byaku’s long hair so it wouldn’t get wet. The gesture made Byaku look at Renji, and Renji swiped his thumb over the corner of Byaku’s mouth to catch a stray drop of water.

Byaku blinked and then glanced down at Renji’s still-exposed and softening length before obviously tearing his gaze away and standing upright. Renji made a chuffing noise and tucked himself away. This guy was like the king of mixed signals, but it didn’t really matter…Renji rarely did repeat business, and although he would be happy to make this man the exception to that rule, like hell if Renji would ask or indicate such an interest.

Renji shut off the water and turned to the shelves. The space was so small that he merely had to stretch his long arm out to snag a few paper towels off a shelf and dry his hands and face. He held one out to Byaku, and Byaku took it between two graceful fingers. The silence yawned, and Renji’s tongue itched with the need to say something.

“Well – ” Renji began.

“Give me your phone number.” Byaku didn’t ask – he commanded.

“Huh?”

Byaku looked at Renji, expression cold and blank but eyes burning with intent even in the dim light. “Your number. You will give it to me.”

“I will?” Renji was a little too startled by Byaku’s tone, and his words didn’t come out playful in the slightest. Instead, he sounded like he felt: bewildered. Renji couldn’t make heads or tails of this guy. He was cold and indifferent, but he wanted to…what? Call Renji so they could go on a damned date? So that Renji could keep him company when Byaku’s lover was out of town? Renji frowned.

“Yes. You will.” Byaku dug into the pocket of his leather jacket and retrieved a much nicer phone than Renji’s. Light from the screen lit up Byaku’s face, and after a second or two he looked up at Renji expectantly.

“Look, this was nice but…” Renji felt the need to protest if for no other reason than he didn’t enjoy being bossed around by a stranger he blew in a bookstore. Even if that stranger was maddeningly hot and confusing and intrinsically arousing.

_I’m nobody’s bitch. But…man… if this guy asked nicely…_

Renji’s eyes widened at his own line of thinking. Well… _that_ was new, now wasn’t it? He could practically hear Shuuhei laughing at him now.

Byaku sighed. “I don’t have time for this. Your number, please.”

_Oh so now he suddenly has someplace to be and remembers his manners. Pretty man totally has a boyfriend – and I bet he’s fuckin’ lousy in bed, from the way this went._

Renji sighed and despite the conflicting opinions circulating his brain, he opened his mouth and digits spilled from his lips. Byaku listened and dutifully put them into his phone. He nodded once and then shoved the device back into his pocket.

“Does this mean I get to see you again?” Renji asked, despite himself. There was a lot of confusion going on in this closet, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

Byaku hesitated and his eyebrows came together in a small frown. In a flash it was gone, and Renji thought he’d need to bone up on body language if he did get to see Byaku again. The man was damned hard to read and sort of short in the talking department.

In the end, Byaku didn’t answer. He looked at Renji, eyes calmer, for a long moment and then simply turned and left. Renji stood dumbstruck and watched him go, far from accustomed to being the one standing around and collecting his thoughts and breath after such an encounter.

“Aw, hell…” Renji muttered to himself, small smirk playing across his lips. “You’re gonna be trouble. I can tell.”

The only response was the lingering scent of flowers.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes  
> I used “Howl” as opposed to “Roar” based on kanji from manga.  
> I used “Byaku” as based on kanji of Byakuya’s name.  
> For more about “the Hyuuga and his heir” check out the story, Undercurrents.
> 
> Other things:  
> ∞ Author loves this one. :)
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	2. Chapter 2

“I’m a fuckin’ jackass,” Renji muttered to himself.

“Beg pardon, sir?” the elevator attendant asked politely, turning his head to look curiously at Renji.

“Nothin’. Sorry.” Renji tried to smile. Next to Renji, a woman holding a pitiful excuse for a dog took a step away.

“Not to worry, sir,” the man replied with a little nod of his cap. He turned around to face the front of the lift, and Renji collapsed back against the shiny mirrored wall of the Magnolia Hotel elevator. Renji knew of the hotel, of course – it made the news frequently for winning awards for excellence, pulling in obscene amounts of tourists, and for its reputation for catering to guests’ needs in any form or fashion. 

That last bit often made Renji curious, but he’d never had the opportunity or reason to attend an event at the establishment or stay there as a guest.

Until tonight.

Renji snorted a little and drummed his fingers on the gold bar running along the back of the elevator. It was probably assuming too much that he’d get to actually stay tonight after he and Byaku were…done. Booty calls rarely made it to the room service breakfast, after all.

Bloody fuck…why am I here, again?

Renji groaned; the woman made a disturbed noise; and the doors opened to let the bitch and her idiot dog off onto their floor. Renji wished them good riddance, and closed his eyes as the elevator doors silently slid shut. 

For some reason, Renji was reminded of coffins…and jail cells.

After the tryst in the bookstore, Renji had tried – admirably, he felt – to just forget Byaku. He returned to Howl, punched Shuuhei when the dark-haired man gave him hell for taking such a long lunch, and then went about his routine. Renji worked, drank with his friends, celebrated his new eyewear line – which was selling faster than he could stock it – and jerked off in the shower while he tried in vain not to think about stormy gazes or silver beads or small glasses perched across a perfect nose.

Days went by and it wasn’t until Renji caught himself in the shampoo aisle of a drugstore sniffing bottles and trying to find one that matched a certain floral scent that he finally realized that forgetting Byaku wasn’t in the cards. 

Apparently, Renji was doomed to dirty dreams and checking his phone entirely too often for messages. Not that he actually thought Byaku would call; not really. The guy was obviously well-off and probably high society, and the chances of some guy like that calling Renji back up just weren’t very high. Especially since it’d probably be hard to get away from the inept boyfriend Renji truly thought was in the picture.

But the part of Renji that was good at analyzing people still maintained that someone like Byaku wouldn’t demand a phone number without a reason.

…it was a small, tiny hope surrounded by walls of glaring reality.

Renji thought about telling his friends of his encounter with the pretty man but quickly rejected the idea. None of them would be surprised by his behavior, and Renji wasn’t worried about them lecturing him on bookstore etiquette. No, what silenced Renji was that as long as no one else knew about Byaku, the beautiful man was just Renji’s. The experience with him was a sweet dream that only played in Renji's mind, and while he realized all that sounded possessive and spoke of more than perhaps mere lust, Renji also didn’t give a damn.

Byaku was definitely worthy of a little obsession. 

Two weeks after the bookstore blow job, Renji’s phone rang. It was late – past midnight – and Renji jumped two feet when the ringtone indicating an unknown caller screeched from under a couch cushion. Immediately thinking dark thoughts about friends in the hospital or jail, Renji answered.

“Hello?”

“Ren.”

Renji’s heart actually stutter-stopped at the sound of the cultured voice on the other end of the line before resuming its usual pattern.

“Byaku?”

“Indeed.” There was a pause and for the life of Renji he couldn’t think of anything to say. “Holy fuck I cannot believe you’re finally calling me what took you so long ya fuckin’ bastard” didn’t seem exactly appropriate or really cover everything.

“It’s late, and I apologize. Did I disturb you?”

“Naw, it’s fine,” Renji managed, sitting up on the couch and muting the TV. His heart was positively pounding, and he covered his chest with one palm. “You’re a nice surprise.”

“Am I?” Considering he and Byaku weren’t exactly on cozy speaking terms, Renji was proud of himself for recognizing the slight change in pitch as Byaku’s way of teasing him. Renji chuckled a little. 

“Yeah. You left an impression.” And memory of said impression had Renji hard and biting the inside of his cheek in a combination of annoyance and excitement.

“Then another meeting would not be too presumptuous of me to request?”

“Hell no,” Renji half-growled. “Tell me when and where.”

Byaku told him, gave him instructions, and then hung up without even letting Renji work up a nice, “I’m sorry, the fuck did you just say?” 

And considering some of the instructions, Renji really wished he’d been faster on the draw with some questions. 

“Too late now,” Renji muttered. This time the attendant didn’t respond, and Renji grit his teeth to keep from any more nervous babbling. After a small eternity, the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

“Penthouse level, sir. Please allow me to hold the lift while you enter your access code.” The attendant bodily blocked the door and extended a gracious arm to indicate that Renji was to exit, walk to one of the four penthouse doors, and do his business. Wiping his hands on his jeans, Renji stepped into the reception area and swallowed. There was a mirror to Renji’s left, and he paused to look at himself with equal parts amazement and irritation.

Byaku’s requests were explicit, and Renji hoped to Christ he remembered all of them. And at the same time, he hoped he fucked at least one or two of them up just to be obstinate. Obeying to the letter wasn’t exactly Renji’s style.

But he remembered the bit about his hair – 

“Wear your hair down, please.”

\- and the shirt -

“If you have something black, wear that if you would.”

\- and Renji stared at himself thinking Byaku was hot as hell but was he really worth all this nonsense?

And oh, if Shuuhei or Ichigo ever found out about this, he’d never hear the damned end of it…

“Sir?” the attendant asked. “Are you in need of any assistance?”

“Uh, no,” Renji said quickly, looking back at the elevator. He blushed. “I have the code. I just…” 

Need a moment to kick myself for acting like a glorified call boy. Takes some getting’ used to, trust me.

“Oh, I see, sir.” The attendant smiled in a comforting and knowing sort of way. “Please take all the time you need to collect yourself. I’ll be right here should you need anything at all.”

“…thanks?” Renji tried, rather wishing the man would get bent. But he was probably required to stay, and he’d probably seen crazier things than Renji prepping himself to go into a penthouse suite. And if Renji spent much more time thinking about everything he’d done and not done to meet Byaku’s odd requests, he’d probably say a few choice words and forget the gray-eyed man.

Steeling himself with a silent promise that if things were too weird, he’d just bail, Renji stopped outside of door number three and smoothed his hands over his snug shirt. He checked his fly and then keyed in the code he’d written down and memorized just after Byaku’s phone call. The security lock’s light flashed green and the door clicked open automatically. Renji put a hand out to catch it, pausing again.

“Very good, sir,” the attendant said. He sounded like he needed pom poms and a GO, RENJI GO! sign to wave. “Enjoy your stay at the Magnolia, and, of course, contact your personal staff member for anything you should require.”

Renji didn’t say anything or look back as the elevator doors closed. Instead, he silently cursed and ordered his pulse to slow down and his cock to stop twitching in giddy anticipation. 

Nothing for it but to see what happens…

Pushing open the door on its silent hinges, Renji stepped into the penthouse suite. He was immediately relieved when he found the room quiet. Renji was further relieved when, after taking a few steps into the entryway, he could see no whips, chains, or possibly large men in leather hoods lurking in the corners.

Not that Renji really expected to walk into a den of bad techno and torture racks, but what Byaku had said and asked - 

“If it’s not too much of a burden, please refrain from masturbating for 48 hours before we see one another. Also, do you have any allergies or problems with leather?”

\- still made Renji a little weak around the knees. A little light bondage or a nipple clamp here or there was fine…but shit, Renji didn’t know Byaku from some bad chat room frequenter named Daddygivesyoupainbitch666.

“Hello?” Renji called. He turned and hastily pulled off his shoes and socks before continuing his cautious entrance. The penthouse was lovely, large, and had a distinct Asian theme. The central room was set up like a living area with what Renji assumed to be antique furniture facing a stone fire place. Above the mantel was a massive piece of art depicting sakura trees in full bloom; nice, Renji thought.

Against a support wall to Renji’s far right was a kitchen of sorts; more a massive wet bar than a place to fix meals. However, covering the dark countertop was an assortment of carefully prepared and artistically arranged food. Fruit, brie, crackers…that sort of thing. Two lit candles flanked the trays, and an unopened bottle of what Renji knew to be expensive champagne sat near the food. 

To some maybe that little setup would look romantic, and for a second Renji was tempted to roll his eyes. Then he saw a plate with a tiny pool of sauce as the only indicator of use. Quickly and with intuition Renji took for granted, he envisioned Byaku ordering food for himself and to offer Renji. He’d be specific and polite and while Renji could see Byaku drinking good scotch or maybe just water, champagne just didn’t jive. Nah; that had to be the hotel’s idea. And when the food arrived and a staff member set it all up, Byaku probably barely registered the expensive gift. It was just another perk that went along with being someone who stayed in such extravagant places.

Somehow, that scenario made a lot more sense to Renji than Byaku planning some sort of romantic seduction scene. Just the thought made Renji smirk a little to himself.

Tearing his eyes away from Byaku’s makeshift dinner, Renji spied a hallway with a closet door on one side and another, wide, wooden door at the end. The latter was slightly ajar, and Renji assumed it led into the master suite. To Renji’s left was another bedroom, on the small side, and a door that Renji bet led to a bathroom. 

The entire back side of the suite was comprised of windows overlooking a balcony, and the sliding glass door was open. A breeze ruffled the curtains and Renji was about to call out again when Byaku stepped inside and quietly slid the glass closed behind him. 

Blinking rapidly, Renji stood stunned for a second or two by his hosts’ sheer presence: regal, undeniable, formal. Renji swallowed and let his eyes rove over Byaku’s body. He wore a pale gray, silk kimono that managed to make him look relaxed and, Renji admitted, insanely sexy. His hair was loose and a little wind-blown, and he regarded Renji with a cool, assessing gaze as he walked to the middle of the living room. 

“Ren,” Byaku said quietly, and all thoughts of being a fool for dressing and appearing the way Byaku asked him to fled from Renji’s mind. Byaku wasn’t looking at Renji – he was drinking him in. True to his word, Renji’d actually done a little reading on body language, and the tilt of Byaku’s head and the slight thrust of his pelvis told Renji that Byaku definitely liked what he saw. When Byaku reached up and touched his left arm with his right hand before crossing his arms, Renji smirked.

“Hey,” Renji said, taking a step or two closer. Desire flooded Renji and suddenly he couldn’t remember why in the hell he’d ever considered not knocking or coming. Byaku in person put memory to shame.

“So good of you to join me,” Byaku said. His eyes flicked over Renji’s hair, black shirt, jeans, and bare feet before coming up to meet Renji’s eyes again. “And thank you for your consideration of my taste.”

“No problem,” Renji said, coming closer still. So what if he felt like some sort of lapboy? He was at the fucking Magnolia in a penthouse suite with a man who might seriously be able to strike people dead with lust just by standing in a grocery line.

…and Renji paused to have a nice mental chuckle at the image of Byaku buying toilet paper.

“Do you have something for me?” Byaku asked. 

For a second, Renji didn’t know what Byaku was talking about. Something for…“Oh!” he said as understanding dawned. “Sure.”

Renji yanked a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket and stepped close enough to hand over the document. 

“Clean bill of health with medical seal,” Renji said while Byaku’s eyes glanced over the paperwork. It’d been easy to obtain; Renji might fuck in closets but he liked to think he played his games safely. 

“Thank you,” Byaku said simply, handing the paper back to Renji. 

“Don’t suppose you’ll return the favor?” Renji asked.

Byaku smiled a little and gestured to an antique phone sitting on a table between two chairs. “Dial the number on the pad by the phone. You’ll reach my private physician who will tell you what you need to know should you desire it.”

Renji blinked. Then laughed. “A doctor’s note would’ve worked.”

Byaku’s expression changed by a degree or two, and Renji thought he looked…smug. Vaguely wicked. “True. But I rather keep my identity to merely, ‘Byaku’ for now, Abarai Renji.”

Renji’s mouth fell open.

Sneaky little bastard…

“Shit,” Renji groused. Bastard was good, he’d give him that. “That hardly seems fair.”

“My apologies.” Byaku clasped his hands behind his back. 

“Who are you that you’re so worried ‘bout me knowing your name?”

Byaku looked away, expression growing neutral and distant again. “If you came here for answers, I fear you will be disappointed. I wish for your company but not your curiosity, Ren.” Gray eyes slid sideways to look at Renji. “If that is unsatisfactory, then you may take your leave.”

Make that imperious sneaky little bastard. Jesus.

Renji rolled his eyes before boldly walking over to Byaku and putting his hands on the smaller man’s arms. Byaku looked shocked, and Renji grinned at him. “If the name game matters, we’ll play it,” Renji said. Moving his hands slowly, he wrapped his fingers and then arms loosely around Byaku’s waist and leaned down to breathe in Byaku’s scent.

Flowers…he really smells like fuckin’ flowers…

“Just don’t be startled when my credit history turns up with a shitty score,” Renji teased, lips catching in Byaku’s hair. He clasped his hands at Byaku’s lower back and pulled him closer. Byaku let Renji move him, but his hands came up to rest on Renji’s upper arms, holding their bodies slightly apart. 

“Why would I care to know your credit history?” Byaku mused, and Renji was pleased beyond measure to hear a tiny hint of breathlessness in that cool voice.

Renji chuckled and pushed back dark strands of incredibly soft hair with his nose and mouth. He dropped a kiss to the top of Byaku’s ear. “Please,” Renji said derisively. “I know your type. You trust people about as easily as a whale walks on land.” Renji shrugged and was proud of himself for being able to talk like this when all he wanted was to shove Byaku onto the couch and kiss him until his lips bled. 

“I see,” Byaku said softly. “I am that transparent to you?”

Renji kissed Byaku’s earlobe. “I just know your kind is all,” Renji said, somewhat reassuringly. He breathed deeply, arms tightening their hold. “God you smell so fucking good…”

Byaku made a startled noise and then gently but firmly pushed Renji backward with a surprising show of strength and restraint. Renji made an unhappy sound and looked curiously at Byaku.

“Did you do all that I asked, Ren?” Byaku’s eyes studied Renji intently.

Renji smirked. “If you’re askin’ if I’ve touched my dick in two days, the answer’s, ‘No.’” And I’d dearly love to fix that, Renji added to himself.

Byaku’s expression changed at the admission, and Renji struggled to identify what he saw: satisfaction, maybe?

“So what,” Renji asked, a little caution creeping up his spine and making his words rougher. “You get off on people obeying your little commands?”

Renji expected a frown and a reprimand and instead got a small smile and a slight eyebrow twitch. “I have people obeying me all day, Ren. If I got off merely on such a simple thing, I fear I’d be incapacitated before lunch.”

“Then what the hell?” Renji asked, arms crossing.

Byaku tilted his head down, not meeting Renji’s gaze. It seemed more out of respect than supplication, and Renji marveled that this man never seemed to rattle. 

“I hoped you would…continue to humor me tonight,” Byaku said quietly. 

“Depends,” Renji said honestly. “I don’t do pain of any variety.” Renji’s voice was firm. “I had enough of that shit growing up, and I don’t take it from anybody. I don’t care how good he smells.”

Byaku looked stricken and then amused, started to say something and then stopped. Renji watched and waited impatiently until Byaku shook his head.

“No, that’s not what I had in mind.”

“Then what?”

Byaku met Renji’s gaze with a cool stare. “I would like to bind you – wrists, if you will allow me – and use my hands and mouth to learn your body and give you pleasure.” Byaku tilted his head. “Does that appeal to you?” 

All things considered, Renji was proud that the only noise that actually escaped his mouth was a tiny grunt that could be construed as contemplation, really. He didn’t pant, despite the pulse that now hammered in his ears, and he didn’t jerk despite his cock going from dozing to rigidly and somewhat painfully awake.

“I think I could handle that, yeah,” Renji replied evenly.

Byaku held up a slim finger. “One rule.”

“And that is…?”

“You must tell me any and all times you are close to orgasm.” Byaku’s voice was calm like pond water and he looked as serious as a funeral. Renji swallowed nerves and heat. 

Because honestly if Byaku kept saying things like “give you pleasure” and “orgasm” Renji felt he might be able to get off just standing in the damned living room. He had no idea how horny he truly was until faced with Byaku in a fancy silk robe talking about doing things with his hands and mouth to Renji’s body.

Fuck me it’s hot in here…

“Agreed,” Renji husked, nodding.

Byaku’s shoulders seemed to relax a fraction of an inch, and he flashed a truly genuine smile at Renji. It was hands-down the most beautiful thing Renji’d ever seen. So pretty, in fact, that he completely missed what that mouth said next as his brain got a little lost in the teeth and lips of the whole experience.

“What?” Renji asked, blush tinting his cheeks.

Amused, Byaku’s head tilted again to one side. “I said, ‘Take off your clothes.’” Byaku stood looking faintly curious with his arms casually crossed and bare feet sinking into the thick carpet. 

Now Renji grinned. Pretty man wanted a show? Then a show he would get.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ Touching one's upper arm while in the presence of date/someone interested in usually indicates sexual thoughts/interests.
> 
> ∞ The Magnolia Hotel was featured in Breaking Point, Naru/Sasu BDSM fanfiction set in this same world. 
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	3. Chapter 3

Without breaking eye contact, Renji reached down to lift his shirt and slowly undo his belt. The buckle made a quiet clank as Renji pulled the leather free. He left the belt hanging and undid the top button on his jeans before tugging his shirt down again. With slow fingers, Renji began to undo the buttons of the black shirt, starting at the bottom. He didn’t try to look seductive or like he was doing anything unusual; instead, he smiled warmly at Byaku – friendly, inviting. 

Byaku licked his lips but otherwise remained silent and still.

Undoing the last button, Renji undid the cuffs and then slid the shirt off his shoulders, taking his time to pull on the sleeves individually so that the arms stayed right-side out. Renji laid the shirt on the couch with a casual toss of his hand. Beneath the button-down he wore a black, sleeveless undershirt made of some sort of clingy material. Renji yanked it roughly out of the waist of the jeans and pulled it off and over his head, purposefully contracting abdominal muscles as he moved. He threw the undershirt on top of the outer one with casual indifference, one hand coming up to idly scratch at his stomach before he returned his gaze to Byaku’s. 

Gray eyes wandered and once again Renji got the impression that Byaku was doing more than merely looking: he seemed to be memorizing. That was fine with Renji, who just smiled again before he slowly undid the other three buttons of his fly. With a modicum of grace, Renji stood on his right foot and yanked off his left pants leg. He repeated the move on the other side and added the jeans to the pile of clothing. The black boxers were last, and Renji wet his lips with downcast eyes as he slid his fingers under the elastic and jerked them over cock, down legs, and then away from his body. 

“So many…” Byaku said softly, and Renji’s eyebrows went up for a second before he realized Byaku must be referring to the ink.

“Old roommate’s a tattoo artist among other things,” Renji said with a shrug, comfortable in his nudity even with the impressive erection. “He’s fixed the early ones he screwed up, though.” Renji smiled and watched Byaku look at him. It was nearly…innocent, which threw Renji a bit. 

“Like ‘em?” Renji asked casually, as he intently studied Byaku. Byaku said nothing but closed the distance between them, eyes following the sweeping lines of the tribal tattoos that ran over Renji’s neck, shoulders, chest, back, arms, and thighs. 

“Turn around,” Byaku requested quietly without answering Renji’s question. Renji gave a low little laugh and obeyed. Immediately he felt cool fingertips near his spine, tracing the lines that pointed inward along the sides of the vertebrae. Renji felt goose bumps break out over his skin as Byaku trailed his fingers downward, following pattern like a map, until he lightly grazed the two pointed ends that stopped at the top of Renji’s ass.

“Byaku-” Renji began. To tell him what, exactly, Renji didn’t know or remember as in that instant he heard the high whine of silk being untied and fabric rustling behind him. The kimono seemed to float to the couch to land, and Renji watched its descent as he felt a warm body press against his back. Renji’s eyelids fluttered as lips brushed with the lightest of pressures, hands came around to carefully touch Renji’s chest and dance along his ribs, and a hard length pressed into his lower back and behind.

“I like them, yes,” Byaku replied, brushing his cheek against Renji’s shoulder. Renji started to turn, but Byaku stepped away and walked by Renji on his way to the smaller bedroom Renji’d seen when he first arrived. 

Renji’s feet moved before his brain gave the command, and all he could see were miles of smooth skin and the movement of an intensely perfect ass as Byaku led him into the bedroom. Yeah…Renji could follow that ass for days and not give a shit where they were going. 

Registering a king bed with the covers pulled down, a glowing lamp on a bedside table, and a large window covered in a sheer curtain, Renji mapped the room at large before tossing that aside to note the details.

A tube of lube perched near the lamp and on the bed was a puddle of what looked like red silk next to a small pile of thin cord. The warm light made interesting shadows, and Renji realized the lamp was purposefully flickering – like fake firelight. He blinked at the odd touch and then noticed that the bed had no headboard and screwed into the wall just behind a bank of pillows was a metal hook. 

Renji rather doubted that was standard in the penthouse suites. But then again: the staff did say they’d do anything to make the guests happy…

Byaku sat down on the edge of the bed, one knee bent to rest on the mattress and the other foot on the floor. “Sit,” Byaku said, gesturing. He grabbed the red fabric while Renji joined him on the bed. 

“What are we doing?” Renji asked to fill the silence, watching as Byaku unwound a long length of red silk. Renji knew the answer to that question more or less: get tied up and give a shout when he was close? Yeah, Renji knew where this was going. 

“Humoring me,” Byaku nearly muttered, and Renji looked up sharply at the tone. Byaku didn’t meet his gaze, and Renji’s eyes narrowed. Something was…off. Not bad, not anything to get his balls in a twist about but…

He’s nervous. The beautiful man now wrapping a piece of silk around my right wrist is nervous as hell.

The insight didn’t disturb Renji; he loved that he could apparently unnerve this man even if nobody else on the damned planet could tell Byaku was, in fact, bothered. But he didn’t like Byaku worried or uncomfortable about all this. Renji wasn’t opposed to a little non-painful kink, and he was hardly in any position to judge such things considering his sex-in-public tendencies. 

To ease the tension and show that he was a willing participant in this game, Renji reached and grabbed the other bit of fabric. He clutched an end in his palm, brought the hand up to his mouth, and then began to wrap silk using his teeth. 

Byaku paused to watch, obviously fascinated.

“Broke my right hand in a fight when I was sixteen,” Renji explained when he was finished. He let the fast-wrapped wrist fall to rest on his left leg, the loose end of the silk dangling. “Used to box and wrestle in high school, and didn’t want to lose my edge. Learned how to wrap one-handed.” Renji grinned. “It’s a bitch to tie it off, though. Might need some help.”

Byaku chuckled a little and cocked a brow as he tied the fabric on Renji’s right wrist before picking up the loose end on the left and tying it, too. Renji’s trick seemed to work; Byaku’s shoulders weren’t up around his ears, and a little smirk played on his lips.

Renji’s breathing got a little faster when Byaku grabbed both Renji’s wrists and placed them side-by-side. He picked up the narrow cord – a long, soft, leather strip, actually – and stared down intently as he set about binding Renji’s wrists together. Pale fingers skimmed over silk and skin, and Renji noticed that they shook ever-so-slightly; just like they had back in the bookstore. 

Bet that only happens when he’s nervous.

“Is this really necessary?” Renji asked. The night didn’t have to go like this, and what they were doing seemed to be outside of Byaku’s comfort zone and a little beyond Renji’s realm of normal. Renji sure as hell knew that while the lack of flex in the leather made his dick twitch and his skin flush, it also had his brain shouting warnings.

“I think so, yes,” Byaku replied. He looped cord and began to tie an insanely complicated knot.

Renji grunted. “And how long do I humor you before you cut this off and I fuck you into next week?”

Byaku looked up sharply at Renji. “There will be no ‘fucking,’” Byaku said firmly, his voice growing slightly disgusted. 

“Oh, so there’re two rules, then, huh?” Renji muttered, not liking that Byaku seemed to find the idea of fucking Renji distasteful. 

Byaku’s eyes flashed despite his still-neutral expression. He jerked a little on the leather cord, knot finished. “Lay down,” he commanded. “On your back, arms over your head.” 

“Aye, aye, cap’n,” Renji shot back but he obeyed. He felt…A little stupid, actually. He’d been handcuffed before and that kind of shit, but this was…Slower, more personal, and unease made Renji grimace as he tried to get comfortable on his back with his arms up. Once again he felt confidence drain away as he realized he knew nothing about this man, really, and it was maddening. Made him feel like a first class dumbass to be here and just do whatever the pretty man politely suggested, and…

Byaku shifted fast on the bed and straddled Renji’s waist, deliberately putting their cocks side-by-side. In two heartbeats, Renji went from softening under the strain of uncertainty to diamond hard at the proximity. Renji sucked in a startled gasp as Byaku rested his hands on the bed and leaned down until his cheek was next to Renji’s. Dark hair covered Renji’s face, and a hot mouth pressed a tiny kiss to his temple over the pulse there.

“Are you always so obstinate when you get what you want?” Byaku asked quietly, kissing again. “I told you what I would do; I’m a man of my word.” Lips pressed kisses down Renji’s cheek to his jaw, and he shifted to give Byaku more room. Fingers stole into Renji’s hair and raked through the strands, and Renji felt his words slip away with the glide of Byaku’s hand. 

With a gentle nudge, Byaku pushed Renji’s face to one side and a hot tongue traced the pattern of Renji’s ear and made him squirm and sigh. He liked it, he didn’t, but it was Byaku doing it to him, and that seemed to intensify everything tenfold. Renji’s hands flexed in the leather and then clenched into fists as Byaku ground down and into Renji’s erection with his own. 

“Fuck,” Renji breathed, and in his ear Byaku chuckled. For reasons lost on Renji, the sound made him hotter, and he felt his cock throb thick and heavy. A hot tongue licked a line down to Renji’s neck, and lips and mouth kissed and lightly sucked at the skin there. The little kisses and nips were driving Renji insane – he wanted it harder and deeper. Wanted to feel teeth and passion and come undone for Byaku.

“More,” Renji demanded. “Come on…”

The words seemed to make Byaku hesitate, and for a second Renji wondered if he’d fucked up somehow. 

“Tell me,” Byaku said quietly, nibbling along Renji’s collar bone. 

Renji shook a little, body rocking with the shiver. “Kiss me and I’ll show you how I like it,” he rasped. 

Byaku shook his head against Renji’s skin, his hair tickling Renji’s suddenly sensitive flesh and making him groan a little in frustration. 

“I don’t know…rougher. More. Use teeth and suck and do it like you mean it. Stop teasing me, dammit, I wanna feel you want me.” It was as close as Renji could get to explanation at the moment, and he hoped it would be enough.

A flushed face came into Renji’s field of vision, and Renji watched in abject fascination as Byaku’s tongue wet his bottom lip. “You can’t feel this?” Byaku asked rhetorically as he ground hard against Renji. He moaned and watched as the motion made Byaku’s eyes cloud for a second before he focused again on Renji’s face.

“Or this?” Byaku asked again, and his hand slid down Renji’s body, trailing nails as it went, and hot fingers circled Renji’s length and stroked in a long, sure glide. 

“God yeah…that’s…” Byaku’s hand kept moving and Renji could only nod and breathe, hips rising to meet Byaku’s hand. Two days of anticipatory denial and twenty minutes of Byaku made release entirely too close, and the tied wrists were just adding to the fire. A mouth found Renji’s neck and kissed harder – mouth firm, pressure perfect. 

“Yes,” Renji hissed. “Faster – fuck, Byaku…faster…”

Byaku complied and teeth bit down on Renji’s earlobe. Renji grunted as Byaku’s hand moved over him in something close to what Renji needed, and the sheer drive to get off and the heady lust for Byaku made up the difference. Byaku kissed down Renji’s throat and dragged teeth along his collar bone. Heat swirled low and hot in and behind Renji’s balls after a dozen strokes, and he groaned.

God…him doing this is…just…oh fuck…I’m already…

“Close,” he said. “Oh God I’m –" Renji broke off into an angry growl as Byaku’s hand loosened and then fell away even as his mouth moved along Renji’s jaw.

“Dammit Bya – ” He was interrupted yet again but Renji found he didn’t give a shit as a hot mouth pressed over his own. Byaku pulled back, and the look on his face was priceless: the kiss apparently startled Byaku as much as it did Renji. 

Renji wasted no time letting Byaku think over whatever issues he may have with kissing. Arching up and raising his arms to loop over Byaku’s neck, Renji’s mouth covered Byaku’s and his hands brought the man down to press on top of Renji. Chest slid against chest, cock against cock, and Renji blew out a harsh burst of air through his nose.

Against his lips, Byaku made a noise – shock, irritation, lust – and tried to pull away, but Renji didn’t let him. He ground against Byaku shamelessly seeking friction and slid his mouth over Byaku’s. His fingers tenderly dug into Byaku’s scalp as much as he could manage with the leather, and Renji flicked his tongue against Byaku’s lips, wanting, craving more. 

Byaku’s hand slipped down Renji’s side and gripped Renji’s hip. Byaku bodily held Renji down, but his head turned sideways, as though giving into temptation, and he opened his mouth to Renji’s questing tongue. Groaning loudly and forcing his bound hands further down and around Byaku’s shoulders to hold him tighter, Renji’s tongue lashed and warred with Byaku’s. Renji kissed like he fucked: with everything he had. Byaku made soft sounds of pleasure that Renji swallowed, and Renji’s eyes opened to glare at Byaku when the man pulled away from the kiss.

A focused gaze met Renji’s, and he watched as Byaku brought a palm up to his mouth. Byaku licked his own skin and let saliva slide off his tongue to pool in his hand, and Renji blinked, lips parted. 

Task complete, Byaku’s eyes went hard and soft at the same time, and he shifted in Renji’s clutches to work his hand between them. Two seconds later and Byaku had both their cocks in his slippery grip, and Renji groaned outright. His arms flexed around Byaku and brought their lips together for another crushing kiss, and Byaku’s teeth nipped and ate at Renji’s mouth while his hand pulled, explored, and deliberately sought end game. 

The room filled with muffled sounds and fast breathing, and Byaku dragged his slick palm over Renji’s length with the fast strokes Renji liked. This time it was even better than the first: Byaku’s cock against his, tongues trying to tangle into knots, Byaku’s damp skin against Renji’s, Byaku’s body locked in place by Renji’s tight grip… 

With a muffled cry and furrowed brow, Renji bit Byaku’s lower lip, teeth bared in a snarl. He hissed through clenched teeth, and it was only out of some sort of masochistic respect for the beautiful man that Renji managed to pull his mouth away when he felt heat pull again in the tip of his cock all too soon.

“Close,” Renji gasped. 

The reaction was instantaneous and cruel. Byaku hooked and braced a shin over Renji’s thigh to stop Renji’s hips from moving. Strong hands gripped Renji’s arms and shoved them off Byaku’s body and over Renji’s head. In a startling and somewhat painful move, Byaku maneuvered Renji higher on the bed and grasped a loop of leather around Renji’s wrists. Byaku shoved the loop over the hook, and Renji craned his neck back to watch as a lever pressed in and then snapped back to lock the leather in place. The hook worked, apparently, much like a carabineer, making it a little harder to break free. 

“Shit,” Renji said in a shaky breath as he adjusted on the pillows. His cock dribbled and ached, and he felt his balls grow tender. He wanted to protest – tell Byaku to stop this game and let him get off – but he could hear the man speaking words that were his version of a plea – 

“…humor me…”

\- and Renji found himself struggling to get control over his body. He swallowed, lowering his head again onto the soft cushions.

“Can you feel me now?” Byaku rasped, both knees back on the bed to straddle Renji as he looked down. Byaku’s lips were swollen, his chest heaved, and his gray eyes were nearly black. 

“Kiss me,” Renji whispered by way of reply, entire body trying to arch back up to recapture Byaku’s mouth. “You taste so good…”

The shiver that rocked Byaku was worth a delayed orgasm and then some. Mouths locking in another dance for dominance, Renji tried to slow this kiss down and give his body a break. He licked over hard palate and teeth and sucked on Byaku’s tongue. When the sucking earned him a long, unrestrained groan, Renji’s mind redlined and he did it again and again until finally Byaku broke away with a pant. Lines of saliva linked their lips, and Renji watched Byaku shift lower to plant a kiss over Renji’s sternum.

“Please…” Renji begged, hips trying to come back up. Byaku shoved him firmly down onto the bed with one hand, the other braced and fisted against the sheet. Renji bit off a whine and tried to focus on what Byaku was doing. 

Careful not to touch anyplace Renji desperately wanted Byaku to touch, Byaku licked around and across a hard nipple and then blew over the dampness. Renji shivered a little at Byaku’s efforts, trying to have a long chat with his cock explaining that release might not be on the menu for a while.

“You’re trying to kill me,” Renji muttered as Byaku attacked the other nipple and made Renji squirm. His body felt unnaturally sensitive, and Renji wasn’t sure he liked the sensation; made him feel a bit too much at Byaku’s mercy.

Byaku pulled back and licked his lips, and Renji paused to admire how stunning Byaku looked when flushed and playful. Byaku slowly leaned to one side, reached out a long arm and grabbed the tube of lube, and then gracefully sat upright.

“Not quite,” Byaku said with a smirk.

Renji closed his eyes and focused on breathing. Lips sprinkled kisses across his abdomen, and a tongue traced tattoo lines until Renji was panting in anticipation. It was crazy how the little things were making him hotter than the thought of Byaku’s mouth on his dick, though every time the image flashed behind his closed lids, Renji’s cock positively ached. He wanted to beg, tell Byaku he was beautiful, ask for this to stop, demand that the torture continue…There were too many things warring in his mind, and Renji wasn’t used to that. Sex was simple: get horny, get hard, get to fucking.

But the smooth fingers that seemed to be everywhere and the mouth now pressing gentle kisses to the tops of his thighs made Renji feel the edges of sanity begin to fray. He spread his legs wide, not caring that he looked lewd and wanton. Hell –he wantedto appear as desperate as he felt. Maybe that would inspire mercy or attention or just…Something other than the little teases that were making him moan low in his throat.

“I love this…” A low voice broke the silence, and Renji’s eyes opened as he shifted and looked down. Byaku was situated between Renji’s legs, gaze intent on Renji’s body. Renji watched pale fingers caress over his hip and the contour of muscle above it. “The indent of muscle and the rise of bone just here…” Byaku continued.

Oh fuck…if he starts talking and doing this, I’m…

“You’re sleek and lean like some sort of wild cat,” Byaku murmured, almost as though he was dictating a memo; an ode to Renji’s nude form. Heart hammering, Renji just stayed silent, eyes staring unblinkingly at Byaku’s wandering hands. 

Renji shivered as Byaku grabbed something on the bed. There was a pop, a pause, and then Renji watched as Byaku lay down to rest his cheek on Renji’s thigh. Renji fell back against the pillow and felt a soft hand tease over his side and ribs. The touch made his head spin and his teeth seek his lip to bite down.

“And this…” Byaku said, voice rumbling. Cool fingers grazed over Renji’s dick, and lube smeared in lazy lines. Renji bit his lip harder and felt the skin give. 

“Your cock is perfection, Ren.” 

Renji gasped as a loose fist closed over his length and smeared palm through slick that smelled like cherries. 

“Thick.” Fingers teased at the head. “Straight.” A sweep and press of hand made Renji jerk. 

“Beautifully hard.”

“Christing fuck, Byaku!” Renji shook and his body rolled and tried to find an ending. Byaku seemed willing to give it to him for a few blissful and mind-numbing seconds as his hot hand stroked Renji, long and slow. 

“Yes…oh fuck, oh please, yeah…” Renji whimpered through clenched teeth and his breathing went erratic. Byaku picked up the pace and heat rolled through Renji’s abdomen, ass, and cock with a shocking frenzy. Renji gasped as he felt the edge of orgasm finally – oh thank the gods and powers that be finally – get close enough to taste.

Chuckling, Byaku slowed his strokes when Renji tensed and trailed pale fingers downward to tease testicles and taut skin. Renji made a noise that sounded entirely too close to a sob.

“Just breathe,” Byaku said softly and Renji opened his eyes. For a moment, Renji blinked up at Byaku in confusion as he had no idea when the man had moved to kneel between his legs. Then his eyes slid to half mast as he registered hands caressing his skin – one on his chest and the other low and stroking his sac. He wanted to tell Byaku exactly what he could do with his teasing and his damned advice, but the words turned into a grunt when one of Byaku’s fingers slid behind his balls and traced his entrance.

“Oh fuck me, no…” Renji growled, head thrashing to one side. 

Byaku hummed a note of curiosity above him and the pad of his finger carefully rubbed back and forth between Renji’s cheeks. “Truly?” Byaku rasped. “I don’t think you really want me to stop, now do you?”

Renji’s legs went wider and his heels dug into the bed as he tilted his pelvis to invite Byaku to do whatever the hell he wanted.

“Good,” Byaku sighed. “Because I want to know what you feel like…” He paused and shifted over Renji, long hair trailing and tickling again before his tongue found a nipple and licked the very tip. “On the inside,” Byaku finished, breath fast and hot on Renji’s skin. The questing finger slowly pressed into Renji and Byaku rolled and moved with Renji as he bucked upward and bore down, trying to feel more.

Renji knew he spoke – pleaded incoherently, begged, demanded – but they were muffled sounds in his ears drowned by the heat that throbbed and burned just beyond his nerves’ reach. Time slowed to a crawl, and it felt like the torture lasted for days. Byaku shifted and stroked Renji hard, swift, and sure while his teeth played havoc on Renji’s neck, his finger teased and explored, and Renji’s body went rigid.

“Close,” Renji cried and shook all over when Byaku’s touch became light once again. More noise spilled from Renji’s lips, and honest-to-God he didn’t care how he sounded. The finger caressing his insides was the least of it; Byaku kissed and tongued him with abandon – hard presses, light licks, everything in between. He lapped over Renji’s nipples and then licked downward again. Renji half howled when Byaku’s tongue traced the underside of Renji’s cock, gently circled the head, and then swiped through the slit with a lazy back-and-forth.

“PLEASE!” Renji yelled, nearly angry. “Let me come…Christ, let me come…” Byaku’s mouth covered the head of Renji’s dick and a tongue pressed hard to tease the underside. Renji stopped breathing when he felt a harsh suction around the swollen head, and he hissed when the suction continued and teeth gently grazed his skin.

“Please, please…please!” Renji panted in pitched gasps, helpless and hot and lost.

Byaku’s mouth fell away and he breathed against Renji’s dick as the single finger became two and started to slowly pump in and out of Renji’s body. Vision blurry, skin on fire, cock dripping and nearly purple in need, Renji let loose sobbing sounds of desperation and torment and every muscle in his body trembled. His toes curled, his feet dug into the bed for leverage and in an effort to escape. Renji’s head flew to the side in shock and sheer want when Byaku’s fingers picked up their rhythm and so did his hand on Renji’s cock. Byaku tongued and swiped up moisture that pooled and slid from Renji’s dick, and he let saliva add to the glide. Heat didn’t merely bloom in Renji anymore: it ripped and throbbed and threatened.

“Close,” Renji hissed with his eyes squeezed shut, not even knowing why he obeyed. He hated it and wanted it, and his head went back and his neck arched when once again, Byaku slowed to let Renji recede from the edge. Renji forced his throat to work and swallow, and he felt rather than saw Byaku fist his own length and begin to stroke. At the same time, Byaku’s tongue teased Renji’s cock and the fingers inside his body slowly increased their sensuous rhythm in and out of Renji.

It was too much and entirely too little. The delay was new and awful and delicious, and so was Byaku. Renji felt close to being over-sensitized and out of his mind, and he began to beg in earnest through clenched teeth. 

“Holy fuck stop…please stop…”

Renji couldn’t take it – nothing was enough to get him off and he’d been so close so damned many times after two days of thinking about Byaku; after two days of getting hard over mere memory and not touching…it was…just…

“Fucking piece of shit bastard…I-I can’t…”

Byaku kept Renji on the rim of oblivion, and above Renji the leather creaked under tension. Renji’s fingers clutched at the bindings for dear life and sanity, and he thought he would kill Byaku with his cock for this; fuck him until he cried.

“More, goddamnit, oh please…I…I…”

Renji could feel Byaku’s hand moving on Byaku’s cock, and that was cruel beyond measure because such friction was denied to Renji. Byaku’s tongue swiped up the continuous weep of liquid from the end of Renji’s dick, and occasionally Byaku would cover the head with his mouth and suck hard before pulling back to licking and teasing. Renji was reduced to a whining, whimpering mess, and he felt like he was drowning.

“Perfect,” Byaku whispered after unending moments. “Gods you’re perfect…”

Renji snarled and yanked hard enough on the leather bindings to make them cut through the silk and into his flesh. He felt slickness on his wrist and thought he might be bleeding but didn’t give a shit. He was beyond anything but desperate need, and he thought he might be close to passing out. The thought wasn’t rational in his brain – just a picture in a mind reduced to sensation and imagery and red-gray haze.

“Thank you,” Byaku said – strangely – and Renji frowned and somehow managed to raise his head off of the pillows he’d half-thrashed out of the way. His eyes drank up the sight of a disheveled and debased Byaku stroking himself with a painful-looking pace. Renji saw and felt the man’s mouth close over his cock, hooded dark gray eyes rolling up to meet his gaze. The fingers inside Renji shoved forward and curled up, pressing and touching a prostate that was more bloody sensitive than it had any right to be – than Renji had ever felt in his life – and all the sensation and visuals crashed like a thunderclap. There was no preamble, no warning, and no time to say a damned thing.

Renji bit a scream into pieces and came. 

Moaning, Byaku’s tongue and mouth fumbled and caught most of what Renji had to give, and Renji felt searing heat against his leg as Byaku came hard by his own hand. The pleasure didn’t seem to fucking stop – and Renji choked on it. The leather gave way above him, snapping in violence, and the hook shifted in the wall with the sound of shredding plaster. Wave after endless fucking wave tore Renji asunder until finally he collapsed only to hiss a curse as fingers and mouth pulled away from overly-tender skin. It was perfect and awful in the way it rendered Renji helpless, and he could do nothing more than lay and shake on the soiled sheets.

Next to him, Byaku fell onto the bed, breathing gulps of air. His eyes were closed, sweat covered his skin, and Renji blinked dazedly and watched him for a moment. Unconsciousness seemed unreasonably close, and Renji struggled to stay awake, his eyes sliding shut on their own accord. Renji managed to open them one last time, and he smiled when he saw Byaku looking at him with a gaze made of calm seas.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ Dear gods of torture, but I do love me some denial. 
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light and waitin' for it,  
> ♥Dee


	4. Chapter 4

Renji’s eyes flew open in the darkness and his entire body tensed waiting for the things under the bed to rear up and remove his liver for a midnight snack.

When his body was still in tact a moment later, Renji blew out a puff of air and pushed up off his stomach with his right arm. 

This…was not his bed.

It was the Magnolia’s bed. Right. But it was still confusing as this was not the bed Renji remembered passing out on earlier.

Shoving his hair out of his face in annoyance, Renji saw the heavy curtains covering the windows and door onto the balcony flutter with the air conditioning. Taking stock, Renji realized he was naked, clean, and comfortable. His wrists were wrapped in soft bandages, and the skin underneath stung and pulled painfully when Renji flexed experimentally. The ornate clock on the antique night stand told him it was 4:21 a.m., and Renji had no idea how he got into this huge bed or into what had to be the master bedroom. Did he do the thing where he was awake but basically sleepwalking? Probably. Byaku must have – 

With a harsh intake of air, Renji jerked his head to the right and nearly passed out again in shock. In the place where Renji truly thought he’d find carefully made covers or just empty space, Byaku lay curled on his side, curved spine to Renji. The covers were shoved down, Byaku’s knees were drawn up into his chest, and he wore pajama bottoms and nothing else. Dark hair spilled over the white pillow and pale arms were tucked into a slowly rising and falling torso.

Renji looked at the Byaku Knot and thought that the man probably paid a small fortune to his chiropractor every year.

Reaching out a hand to touch, Renji stopped himself, thinking better of it. He hesitated. 

_ Eh…Fuck it. If this is the only time I get to be with him like this…then… _

Slowly Renji slid across the soft, down mattress until he lay next to Byaku. He looked cold and uncomfortable, but Renji didn’t want to wake the man up from a dead sleep or do something that would offend him. Weighing the options, Renji finally decided to just pull the blanket up to cover Byaku. He gently shifted the fabric over Byaku’s resting form and maneuvered a pillow closer in preparation to lying down. He tried not to jostle the bed or Byaku overmuch, and winced when his leg accidentally shifted and brushed Byaku’s foot.

After a few rustling moments, Renji put his head down on the soft pillow and contemplated what the hell to do with his hands. He  _ wanted _ to wrap his arms around Byaku and try to get him to relax into the embrace. 

Some part of Renji laughed at the idea of Byaku ever relaxing into anything.

With a soft sigh, Renji settled for shoving his left hand under his own pillow and resting his right hand gently on top of the blanket at Byaku’s waist. 

Renji’d just closed his eyes when he felt warm fingers brush his own. Immediately alert, Renji lay still and felt his skin begin to tingle as Byaku traced his knuckles and the back of Renji’s hand. Such a simple thing, but it made internal pieces of Renji roil and shift in a way that made his heartbeat quicken.

Cautiously, Renji moved forward and brushed his lips over Byaku’s bare shoulder. The urge to babble and break the silence was hard to contain, but Renji did it. Filling this silence with commentary on earlier and how amazing it was or telling Byaku that he was thrilled and stunned to find him sharing a bed with Renji seemed…cheap. 

So instead, Renji found skin and dropped soft kisses to Byaku’s back and shoulder and hoped that would say all that needed saying.

After a moment, Byaku silently uncoiled his body and stretched out his legs. His hand fell away from Renji’s to lie on the bed, and Renji took the opportunity to touch and feel his way across Byaku’s ribs and stomach. He pressed the flat of his palm over Byaku’s navel and let his fingers gently draw inward to lightly scrape and play with the soft hair leading downward. It was just a touch, just an assurance that Renji was, well…there. Awake and content and all good things.

A second later and the hand was back over Renji’s, and his fingers stilled. Thinking Byaku wanted him to stop so that Byaku could sleep, Renji lay back down. He pulled his hand from beneath his pillow and brushed dark strands of Byaku’s hair out of his way, fingers barely touching Byaku’s back as Renji moved

Renji felt rather than heard Byaku’s breathing pick up speed, and Renji’s eyes remained open and wide in the darkness. Again he started to say something – reassure the man, apologize for waking him up, anything to sooth him.

But words froze when the muscles beneath their linked hands trembled ever-so-slightly, and Byaku slowly shifted Renji’s palm down and beneath the waist of the silk pants. The movement was hesitant – like Byaku didn’t know if Renji would do this or Byaku didn’t know if he did or should want this in the first place. Byaku stopped moving their hands just under the pants, and Renji saw and felt Byaku’s head turn more toward the pillow. Ashamed, aroused or some combination thereof, Renji didn’t know, but he offered no resistance and didn’t move. Renji barely breathed while he waited for an eternity counted in mere seconds until finally Byaku moved Renji’s palm to cover his hardening length beneath the silky fabric.

_ Oh...God… _

Byaku didn’t do anything else, but he didn’t remove his hand, either. Renji exhaled a long, silent flow of air and slowly wrapped his fingers one at a time around Byaku. With each finger-length of contact, Byaku’s chest rose and fell faster, and Renji felt the bed shift as he shivered.

Renji had no idea what role sex played in Byaku’s life, but obviously it was a bit player and far from even a supporting part. The man was gorgeous, wealthy, and probably powerful. He could take lovers the globe over if he wanted, and probably did.

But he still shook in Renji’s arms as Renji shifted to press against Byaku’s back; trembled as Renji’s lips once again found bare shoulder and kissed; and he gasped as Renji’s fingers began to move skin and muscle into firmness. In six strokes Byaku was hard and Renji watched almost detached as slim fingers retreated from Renji’s skin and gripped at the sheet.

_ He’s incredible like this… _

“Did you dream about me?” Renji whispered so softly that someone standing at the foot of the bed wouldn’t be able to hear him. Byaku went rigid, but Renji didn’t stop his gentle stroking, the soft kisses, or the words spoken in between the press of lips. He couldn’t stop – not now. Not when things felt so natural and safe and hot and heavy.

“I dreamed about you,” Renji confessed. Byaku’s head came back, carefully, and Renji took the move for the hint it was and pressed a light kiss to Byaku’s ear. 

“Dreamed about touching you, about my mouth sliding down your body, wrapping around...” Renji gripped Byaku a little tighter and stroked once a little rougher. The noise he pulled from Byaku was sweet and delicious.

“I could listen to that sound all night every night…I could do this,” Renji stroked harsh and fast again twice to make his point. “Every hour of every day. The way you feel, smell, look, sound…it’s just…It’s perfect.”

Byaku’s breathing grew labored and his hips twitched to meet Renji’s hand. Renji smiled, a lazy thrill coursing through his body.

“I think you did dream about me. Thought about tying me up and making me scream for you.”

Byaku moaned, and every fiber of Renji’s body shivered and responded to that reaction like Byaku pulled his puppet strings.

“Yeah, you fuckin’ loved that,” Renji said and kissed Byaku’s cheek. Byaku’s eyes were open and Renji watched him blink once, saw his dry lips part.

“Teasing me.” Renji nibbled Byaku’s ear and growled the next words. “Drinkin’ my cum.”

Byaku’s hand flew to Renji’s wrist and stopped him as he rolled over to face Renji with a swift grace. Lips slammed into Renji’s with bruising force and Byaku’s other hand came up to wrap in Renji’s hair and yank. Renji gasped out of the side of his mouth and still Byaku didn’t let up the pressure against his lips, on his wrist, or in his hair.

Finally Renji pulled back and licked at Byaku’s mouth and that was enough to make the other man wrench his head away to hiss. 

“Renji…fuck.” 

Renji shuddered to hear his full name and watched with heated gaze as Byaku’s eyes squeezed shut and he grimaced before speaking again. 

“Get me off.” Byaku panted into the air above them. “God, Renji, make me come.” Lust-laden eyes met Renji’s in the dark. “Do it.”

Hot air mixed in the millimeters between their lips, and Renji swallowed thickly. The rushed plea in the command, the look, the smell – 

_ Cherry blossoms.  _

\- were enough to light fires in every nerve center in Renji’s brain. Renji kissed the desperate man while his hands yanked down Byaku’s pants and freed his leaking length. Renji’s hand stroked mercilessly while his tongue did a wet, lashing job against Byaku’s. The tiny noises Byaku made were lunatic in their ability to get Renji hard and hot, and finally he broke away to fly down Byaku’s body. Renji lifted Byaku’s top leg, rested it over his own shoulder, and his mouth covered Byaku’s leaking cock in one harsh suck. 

“ _ Renji _ !” Byaku cried, and fuck all but it made Renji crazy. His mouth worked a frantic rhythm and Renji slid his hand from the top of Byaku’s leg to between them, teasing balls and then back further to press his thumb over Byaku’s entrance. He found it spasming – twitching – and Renji nearly came with Byaku’s taste on his tongue and noises of need in his ears.

Hands gripped Renji’s hair and everything became shades of chaos. Renji tongued weeping slit, pressed along veins, and let saliva slick his way as he jerked his head up and down Byaku’s cock. The man above him cried out and cursed with abandon, the noises so full of heat and want that Renji could only moan with him. 

“Please. Fuck. God  _ yes _ . Holy  _ Christ _ \- holy  _ shit _ \- Didn’t…know…it was…oh  _ fuck _ me…Renji –  _ nnn-ah _ !”

Too much and too good. Renji rolled them with such force that Byaku slammed against the mattress and jerked Renij’s hair hard enough to pull several strands free. Renji barely felt it as he focused on sucking Byaku dry and let his other hand reach down and fist himself in a fast blur. 

Seconds went by punctuated by moans, slaps of skin, and wet sounds until Byaku went completely still beneath Renji. 

_ Shit yeah…come for me… _

“Oh… _ fuck _ !” The cry was loud enough to hurt Renji’s ears, and he managed to swallow liquid heat once before Byaku yanked hard on Renji’s hair. The move pulled Renji away from Byaku’s spurting cock with half a mouthful, and Renji tried to focus enough to swallow as Byaku pulled Renji up Byaku’s body, mouth seeking and finding Renji’s. Renji couldn’t make his throat work, and a hot tongue pried open his lips. Worry flared but faded fast, and Renji’s eyes went wide in hard lust and sheer shock as Byaku ate his own cum out of Renji’s mouth with an eager noise. 

Renji kissed Byaku with a clash of teeth, forehead set in a deep frown, and his breathing got fast and staccato through his nose. Renji’s hand pumped viciously swift, and then Renji came with several soft grunts and a hand twisted in the sheet. Byaku groaned into Renji’s mouth as he covered Byaku’s stomach with hot seed, and the orgasm was barely done with him before Renji collapsed down in a sticky mess, utterly spent.

The men lay gasping and didn’t say a word until finally by mutual, silent agreement they disentangled from one another. Renji rolled onto his back with an arm over his eyes and sighed, trying to make his pulse slow down. He felt something hit his chest, and when he looked he saw Byaku stripping pillows to serve as rags. Renji gave himself a perfunctory swipe and waited while Byaku did a more thorough job on his own torso. 

Then Renji grabbed Byaku and pulled him into a tight embrace. He let the slightly smaller man get comfortable, kissed him once on the top of the head, and then fell into a deep, dreamless, sleep.

~*~

Renji woke himself up snoring and made an unhappy chuffing noise, one hand coming up to rub over his face. The room was full of gray light, and Renji didn’t need to look to confirm that he was alone, but he did it anyway. Byaku wasn’t there, but evidence of their night together in the form of rumpled sheets and naked pillows still was. Renji sighed and looked at the clock. 

“One?” Renji yelped and sat up. “Shitting hell!”

Thoughts of check-out times and walks of shame and God only knew flew through Renji’s brain as he tried to untangle his legs from the blankets. It wasn’t until he was on his feet and cursing that he saw the small bottle on top of a note, both perched on the nightstand next to the bed. The sight made Renji go completely still for a second or two before he snatched up both items, one in each hand.

“Ren” scrawled and looped over the ivory paper in handwriting that certainly put Renji’s chicken scratch to shame. Renji carefully set aside the bottle – which was marked only with a symbol that meant nothing to Renji – and lifted the folded page to read the note.

“Dial 212 for Jameson if you want breakfast. Food and room are under my care and at your disposal. You have my gratitude. Enjoy.”

Renji read the note twice and then carefully set it aside. Curious, he picked up the little bottle. It was shiny, solid black, the symbol a sweeping thing in embossed silver. On the bottom of the vial he could make out tiny words, but they were in French. He unscrewed the cap and immediately grinned.

The scent of cherry blossoms rose rich and ripe from the semi-stoppered bottle. After some inspection, Renji determined it was after-shave lotion. 

Smiling, Renji sat on the edge of the bed and breathed in Byaku until his stomach growled, and he decided to see what was for breakfast.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ Ah yes, another pair of men who would not… quit… touching… each… other. Made this one challenging to write. In all the best ways. :D
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	5. Chapter 5

“A hook in the wall?” Shuuhei asked, eyes intent.

“Yep,” Renji nodded and swallowed a mouthful of insanely overpriced beer.

“With a latch?” Shuuhei pressed.

“You gonna make me repeat everything all night or just when I talk about the bondage shit?” Renji asked, cocking a brow.

Shuuhei frowned and ignored the sarcasm. “So was it an  _ actual _ hook or more like a-”

“Guys. Really?” Ichigo pressed a hand to his forehead and looked around somewhat sheepishly. “This conversation is bad enough without the rehashing.”

“Quite right, Ichigo,” Kisuke agreed. He looked at Renji with a serious expression from where he reclined in his chair, one leg propped on the other knee. “Leave the details for later. I believe you were tied up, hooked to a wall, and were about to tell us what happened next.”

“Right,” Renji agreed. “So then-”

“For fuck’s sake!” Ichigo hissed. “Can’t we leave this until we’re at the damned bar? This is fuckin’ Tobi’s man. You don’t talk about this kind of thing in a five-star restaurant.”

Renji snorted. “You just hate hearin’ about me gettin’ lucky.”

“Lucky?” Ichigo retorted. “You blow some guy in a bookstore and a fancy hotel and don’t hear from him in, what’s it been, two months? And this is somehow lucky?”

Renji glared at Ichigo. Leave it to this bloody ass to pick out the most painful details and throw them in Renji’s face. He opened his mouth to give a suitable reply but a waiter appeared to lay out dessert. 

“You need to win more late-night radio contests, Ichigo,” Shuuhei commented after the waiter left, eying his cheesecake greedily.

“Yeah, and invite people who won’t talk about gay sex all through dinner while I’m at it.”

“Urahara’s straight and you don’t see him whining, now do ya?” Renji asked.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “Just ‘cause Kisuke’ll listen to anything involving sex-”

“I draw the line at farm animals,” Kisuke interjected around a mouthful of sorbet.

“Comforting. Really.” Ichigo forked key lime pie into his mouth and chewed with vigor.

“You were the one who wanted details anyway,” Renji muttered.

Ichigo made a protesting noise. “What I  _ said _ was that I was pissed you didn’t tell us weeks ago that you were doin’ some rich guy in the freakin’ Magnolia and wanted to know how that happened to a dick like you.”

“Better to be one than not have one, babe,” Renji quipped.

“We seriously can’t take these two anywhere, can we?” Shuuhei asked Kisuke.

“Tragic and true,” Kisuke agreed.

Ichigo scowled, and Renji smiled a little that it was still so easy to rile him up. It was the first official smile of this week, and it felt like the corners of his mouth creaked from lack of use. Really he should be thanking Ichigo for dragging him out to dinner. Winning a rather lavish gift card to Tobi’s through some radio contest was a nice gig, and Ichigo definitely didn’t have to ask Renji’s sorry ass to join him. He’d buy the blond a shot at the bar later and say thanks. 

In the meantime, Renji watched his friends eat and managed to conjure up a little relief that he’d finally told them what was going on with him. Renji was under no illusions as to why it took him so long: talking about it made it real. And the reality was simple and brutal - it was time to get over Byaku along with the anger and hurt that still made his blood boil at the very thought of the man’s name.

_ Two months and not a fuckin’ word from that pretty bastard… _

Some part of Renji wasn’t surprised; looking back on the experience at least ten times a day for eight weeks did lend one a certain amount of hindsight. He was pretty sure he’d been right in his original assessment: call boy. For whatever reason, Byaku couldn’t find a nicer piece of ass than Renji’s that week, and so he’d been called in to do a little fantasy play and help the asshole unwind. All the tender moments and bits of what Renji thought were connection were really just evidence that Renji was a sucker for beautiful men who begged Renji to make them come.

Renji winced at the heat that memory inspired.

_ But your so-called logic still doesn’t explain why he wanted your full name with that medical check or why he left the bottle of aftershave lotion. _

Renji firmly told himself for the millionth time that the first was his own stupidity and the second was an egomaniac’s tease. Poor boy – such a nice fuck, let’s leave him a pretty French gift that costs more than his entire store. It wasn’t cash on the nightstand, but it was fuckin’ close enough. Renji nearly snarled.

“Renji? You with us?” Shuuhei asked, face set in the beginnings of a concerned frown.

“Yeah, yeah,” Renji waved a hand and drained his beer. His ice cream was half-melted, and he couldn’t find it within himself to be upset about that.

The table was quiet, and Renji shifted uncomfortably. He reminded himself that these were his friends, and that it was good he’d finally come clean to them. They wouldn’t condemn him for this…or call him stupid. Surely they could see he was doing plenty of self-deprecation on his own.

“Jackass got to you, huh?” Ichigo asked, eyes askance to look at Renji.

“Yeah,” Renji admitted. It was pretty obvious that was the case what with the short temper and long weekends spent in bed ignoring his phone often enough that even the most unperceptive friend could tell something was wrong.

And none of Renji’s friends were the oblivious type. They just also knew when to give Renji space.

“You know nothing other than this nickname?” Kisuke asked gently.

Renji shook his head. Oh he’d done his due diligence on Google and managed to come up with exactly jack shit. It was rather hard to search for someone when you only knew a fake name, a description, and how they sounded when they got off in your mouth.

“You met at Cain’s – you could see if Reggie knows the guy,” Shuuhei said.

“Tried that,” Renji groused, staring at the bottom of his empty beer glass. He actually hated to admit that he’d gone that far, but there it was. “No dice.”

“Damn. He  _ really _ got to you,” Ichigo said softly.

“Fuck off,” Renji muttered, but it didn’t have much venom.

“Hotel?” Shuuhei asked, hands folded on the table as he thought through the situation.

Renji shook his head and his mouth twisted into an ironic smirk. “They’re not real forthcoming with details of the guests who stay in their most expensive rooms. No matter how many times you tell them you were just up the ass of said guest.”

Renji sighed bitterly and recalled the desk clerk who told him over and over again with the most irritatingly polite voice he’d ever heard that the particular guest about whom Renji inquired wished to remain anonymous even to the man who shared his quarters the night prior.

Renji had a memory for all the times he got told, “No” in such a genteel manner it was impossible to just deck the bastard.

“So you fucked him?” Ichigo asked.

Renji sighed and shook his head once. But if thoughts and dreams counted as truth, then he and Byaku were long-time lovers with a beach house and perpetually exhausted bodies.

Imagination was a bitch.

“And it was an untraceable phone number,” Kisuke said to himself. Renji didn’t bother to answer.

“Well, hell…I think you’re kinda screwed,” Ichigo said with a sigh. He pushed his half-eaten pie toward Renji, who forked up a mouthful and chewed the food without tasting it.

“What does he look like?” Shuuhei asked. “Maybe we know him.”

Renji smiled a little at the kind optimism and tried not to dismiss the sentiment out of hand. He stared at the table and as easily as breathing an image of Byaku appeared in Renji’s mind. “Six feet tall in shoes, long dark hair, gray eyes, ‘bout 160 pounds, lean muscle, wide shoulders, perfect abs, sweetest ass you’ve ever seen, pale skin, little pouty mouth.” Renji paused to smile a little. “Sometimes he wears these silver bead things in his hair, and he’s got these seriously hot, frameless glasses that-”

A clatter interrupted Renji and he looked sharply at Kisuke. The man had dropped his fork and was staring a little wild-eyed at Renji.

“Oh – so like that guy?” Ichigo said, pointing across the restaurant. 

Renji jerked his chin to follow the direction of Ichigo’s hand and gaped. Byaku stood near one of Tobi’s signature round tables while wait staff hurriedly cleaned the half-moon bench seat and smoothed invisible creases from the linen tablecloth.

“Shit,” Renji whispered, sitting up straight in his chair. “No, not  _ like _ that guy – that  _ is _ the guy.” He didn’t know whether he should crawl under the table and hide or go start a fight.

“No fuckin’ way,” Ichigo breathed, staring along with Renji. Shuuhei turned in his seat to look and Kisuke covered his mouth with one hand.

“Dude…the hell’s he doin’ with  _ her _ ?” Shuuhei asked. Renji watched as Byaku put a pale hand on the small of a woman’s back. She had long, red hair, wore a slinky black dress and four-inch heels that barely put her at Byaku’s shoulder. When the waiters cleared out, Byaku took the woman’s hand and assisted her as she slid into the semi-private booth. He followed after her a moment later, head tilted down to say something that made the woman laugh.

“Renji…I don’t think that’s his fuckin’ sister,” Ichigo said softly.

Renji was too busy being angry and nauseated to reply. For two long months he’d tried to keep parts of his body and brain shut off out of a need for self-preservation. But seeing Byaku threw wide all the doors, and in flooded the memories, the pleasure, and the hurt along with a healthy dose of anxiety and anger. Renji  _ felt _ things for and about Byaku that were entirely new and terrifying to Renji, and seeing him brought them back to the forefront of his thoughts. 

It was fuckin’ awful.

But Renji couldn’t tear his eyes away from Byaku, and the small voice of reason told him he should be thankful the booth was situated in such a way that Byaku couldn’t see him staring like a love-sick moron.

“Kuchiki Byakuya,” Kisuke said quietly. He sipped his wine.

Renji’s heart stopped for a second before continuing its spastic rhythm, and his blood ran cold. 

_ Did he just say what I think he just said? _

Shuuhei turned around to look at Kisuke. “Surely not.”

“You’re kidding me,” Ichigo said aghast. “ _ That’s _ Rukia’s  _ uncle _ ?” A passing waiter gave Ichigo a strange look that all the men ignored.

Kisuke nodded. “The description isn’t terribly accurate, but I understand that the Kuchiki family is rather old-fashioned and felt the need to label the relationship.”

It felt like someone just stabbed Renji in the gut with a dull blade.

_ Holy fuck I kissed Rukia’s uncle. The cold, heartless, bastard Byakuya is the guy who let me blow him in a bookstore and hold him while we slept. And we…I… _

Renji was rooted to his chair, and for a second he forgot how to swallow. Panic fluttered in his breast until his throat found muscle memory and choked down the saliva pooling on his tongue.

“I never really understood all that adoption crap,” Ichigo said with a frown. “And I’ve heard the story like sixty times.”

“It is complex,” Kisuke admitted. “Rukia’s aunt – her mother’s sister – had one daughter, Hisana. Byakuya married her despite the fact that his family had someone else in mind. Caused quite the riot.”

“The elite and their addiction to arranged inbreeding,” Shuuhei said disgustedly.

“Shut-up,” Ichigo said. “I’m trying to get this. But they all died, right?” he asked Kisuke.

“Yeah,” Renji answered, voice rough. He watched Byaku – Byakuya, he supposed – take a sample of wine from the waiter and sip it. He offered it to his lady friend, and Renji wanted to throw a chair. “Car wreck. Took out Rukia’s parents and her aunt.” He spoke out of a mouth that felt numb.

“Yes,” Kisuke somberly agreed. “Tragic. And then Hisana was stricken with cancer shortly thereafter.”

Renji blinked. “So his…wife,” he nearly gagged on the word. “Died.”

Kisuke nodded.

_ Well…that might explain some of the icy reception to mankind…and fuck me, the guy was married. To a woman. _

Everything was falling apart, and Renji couldn’t even sort out one level of fucked up from another. He swallowed a moan, but despair and anger and pure ache ran through him like the trifecta of personal torment.

“Shit,” Ichigo whispered. 

“And her dying wish was for the Kuchiki family to adopt Rukia so that she’d have family again and Byakuya would have a…daughter, of sorts, if you will.”

“But he didn’t remarry,” Shuuhei said, looking at Renji.

“That’s true,” Kisuke agreed. “He remains a widower, although the Kuchiki family does not approve of that status.”

“Why not?” Ichigo asked.

Kisuke hesitated. “It has to do with the family business: Kuchiki Stone. It’s the oldest family-owned business in the country, and Byakuya is the current CEO and only heir.”

“So they’re pissed ‘cause he doesn’t have a kid to pass along the company to?” Ichigo said. “That’s like…medieval.”

“That’s the Kuchiki family in a word, yes,” Kisuke said dryly.

“But there’s Rukia,” Shuuhei said, frowning.

“No interest in the family business,” Ichigo said, shaking his head. “She doesn’t talk much about anything Uncle-related, but I know that much, at least.”

So did Renji, but he couldn’t find the strength to comment. “Enough,” Renji managed. “Just…” He shifted in his seat, finally tearing his eyes away from Byakuya. His hands were shaking, and he cracked his knuckles nervously. 

“So your guy’s a closet freak,” Ichigo said.

Renji didn’t answer.

“Just closeted, period, from the looks of things,” Shuuhei commented.

“I am sorry, Renji,” Kisuke said sympathetically. 

Renji looked down at the table and found he couldn’t make his brain work. Really, Byakuya’s connection to Rukia was the least of it: Renji’d never met that man, after all, only heard of him. When he thought about Byakuya being Rukia’s uncle, his mind hit a wall of incomprehension. The curled, sleeping man in the bed at the Magnolia just didn’t match what he knew of Rukia’s uncle. They continued to be two people in his head, and Renji didn’t try to force the images to mesh. 

Because while those images made little sense, they paled next to another set of competing pictures: the man in a gray kimono looking at him with hungry eyes and the same man in a tuxedo cutting wedding cake with a smiling bride. 

Renji wanted to throw up. 

How in the blue fuck could he  _ be so stupid? _ Byaku didn’t have a  _ boyfriend _ ; he had a dead  _ wife _ . Clarity crashed and burned in Renji’s mind; no kissing, no fucking…all the rules, the hesitation…

_ I was totally and completely fucking used.  _

“It’s utter shit the way he led you on like that,” Ichigo said, seemingly reading Renji’s mind and looking at Renji worriedly. 

“He didn’t,” Renji rasped and barked a bitter laugh while his guts twisted. He thought about karma and his guts twisted harder. “It’s not like we had long walks on the goddamned beach or anything. He just called and I…”

_ Ran to his lap with my tail between my legs like some fuckin’ well-trained dog. _

Anger at himself, Byakuya, and the distance between them boiled in Renji’s blood, and his head snapped up to glare daggers at Byakuya across the room. He saw that the man stood next to the table, obviously saying something to the woman. Then he turned and began walking toward the back of the restaurant. Without even thinking about it, Renji stood up.

“Renji,” Shuuhei and Ichigo said at the same time.

“Leave him be,” Kisuke said, holding up one hand. 

“If I’m not back in half an hour, he’s dead or fucked,” Renji growled. He stalked away, making sure to stay semi-hidden. Byakuya gracefully weaved around tables and waiters toward the restrooms, and Renji followed without any idea of what he would say once he caught up to the man. But the shame brought about by two months of feeling weak and pathetic over some homo-dabbling asshole kept Renji moving.

Renji let Byakuya enter the restroom a full ten seconds before he followed. A bathroom attendant stood just inside the door next to a wall that blocked the view of the urinals and stalls. Large, glass bowls of cut blue glass served as sinks and lined a counter to Renji’s right. Renji looked at the man in the tux.

“How many in here?” he asked.

The attendant blinked, startled. “Just one, sir. A gentleman entered before-”

“Good.” Renji reached into his back pocket and retrieved his wallet. He yanked out a fifty and stepped directly in front of the attendant who was smaller and older than Renji. “I need a few. And I think you need a smoke.” 

Something about Renji’s expression made the man swallow and frown nervously. “Sir, I’m not-”

“Please.” Renji just looked at him.

Finally the attendant nodded. He took the bill and left the room, and Renji threw the service lock on the bathroom door. 

Wasting no more time, Renji rounded the wall and stopped in his tracks. Byakuya stood in the center of the bathroom with his arms crossed, obviously waiting on Renji. His hair was long and loose, and there were two rows of flat, pearly beads over his right ear. He wore a dark gray suit over a sky-blue shirt, and Renji could smell the flowers even at this distance. It was, in a word, intolerable.

Renji gnashed his teeth and glared.

“May I assist you with something?” Byakuya asked.

“You can fuckin’ assist yourself over a goddamned cliff,” Renji said, biting off the ends of the words.

Byakuya didn’t even flinch. “I’m afraid I don’t find that suggestion worth consideration.”

“Yeah?” Renji said, stepping closer with his hands fisted at his sides. “You’ll pardon me if I don’t give a shit.”

Byakuya’s eyebrow twitched. “And you’ll pardon me if I don’t understand your irritation.”

Renji barked a laugh. “Aw, come on: you don’t call, you don’t write…I’m thinking you’ve forgotten all about my sorry ass.” Renji tried very hard to keep the pain out of his voice.

“That was my intention, yes,” Byakuya agreed politely.

Red started to bleed around the edges of Renji’s vision. “Some advice: next time you want to fuck outside your comfort zone, tell the guy he’s just a fuck toy and don’t bother to leave gifts by the bed.” Renji sneered. “Makes it a little obvious that he just got fucked over by some straight-ass, closet-case, rich boy.”

Byakuya’s eyes flashed and Renji felt a surge of triumph.

“I should think you’d be sympathetic to my side of this equation, Renji,” the cold bastard said. “I understand you have quite the kinship with the ‘love-them-and-leave-them’ philosophy.”

“The fuck you talkin’ about?”

Byakuya smiled without warmth. “My niece does enjoy her camera and her stories of her best friend Abarai. Apparently he’s quite the…oh, how does she put it?” Gray eyes rolled to consider. “Oh yes: man whore.”

Renji ignored the insult – Rukia wouldn’t say that – but felt like he’d been stabbed in the gut, anyway. “Wait, you knew who I was? Even at the bookstore?”

“Of course,” Byakuya said smugly. 

Renji just gaped at the man, brain on temporary mute. 

“I count myself as rather observant,” Byakuya continued. “And so I also saw you with your friends tonight. You must give my regards to Urahara. We’ve not spoken in some time.”

Renji shook his head to clear the fugue and frowned furiously. “So the medical note thing…that was just…”

“A way to protect myself and what I already knew, yes,” Byakuya replied neutrally. 

Renji didn’t even know what to think about it all, really. But he knew how he felt. Oh yeah,  _ that _ was easy: 

He was fucking pissed as  _ hell.  _

_ Conniving…evil…bastard… _

Not bothering to process the information further, else he try to kill the man, Renji stalked across the bathroom and roughly shoved Byakuya back against a wall. Byakuya let him do it, not looking in the least surprised, and honestly, Renji was a little confounded by the lack of fight. But it stopped him from punching the pretty man in the face, at least.

“You’re a real asshole, you know this?” Renji asked, eyes searching Byakuya’s.

“I would not entirely disagree with that assessment.” Byakuya returned Renji’s gaze without expression. It wasn’t the answer Renji expected, and confusion bloomed in the garden of rage. Damn this man and his…His everything, Renji thought, as he resisted the temptation to shake the jerk until his teeth rattled.

“So glad we agree. That your woman out there?” Renji hissed, pressing closer and boxing Byakuya in by pressing palms to the wall next to Byakuya’s head.

“For now,” Byakuya answered.

“Yours until you leave her with a note and room service, huh?”

Byakuya didn’t deign to comment. The arrogance incensed Renji further.

“You think ‘bout me when you fuck her?”

“I don’t ‘fuck’ her,” Byakuya replied disdainfully. He shifted against the wall and Renji sneered.

“Oh yeah, I forgot. You don’t fuck.” 

“Not entirely correct, but also not important,” Byakuya replied.

“I disagree, Kuchiki,” Renji said, bringing his face even closer to Byakuya’s. “Curious minds wanna know: are you straight with a cock fetish or are you gay and feel the need to please Daddy dearest?”

Byakuya’s mask crumbled slightly and his smooth forehead wrinkled with a slight frown. “It’s none of your concern.”

“I’m  _ makin’ _ it my concern.” Renji’s eyes bored holes into Byakuya’s.

“Why would you do such a thing?” Byakuya asked, and Renji heard the tone change from formal and distant to just slightly upset with the hint of ragged. Renji’s shoulders relaxed a fraction and some of the anger receded. Not much, but some. Hurt born of the months spent hoping the asshole would call quickly filled the void left by the rage, and Renji shook his head slightly at the insanity of the situation.

With a quiet noise of disbelief and desperation, Renji leaned forward and crushed his mouth to Byakuya’s. He wanted to hurt this guy: make him feel. Renji wanted to  _ own  _ Byakuya – possess him – and prove to them both that he could and did. Renji bit at Byakuya’s lips, and while Byakuya didn’t kiss him back, he didn’t knee Renji in the balls, either. Renji pulled back to look Byakuya in the eyes after a moment, breath a little harsh.

“Because I can’t stop thinking about you,” Renji answered. They looked at one another, and Renji saw flickers of emotion ripple in Byakuya’s eyes. “And I wanna know if I should fall on my sword now and just get it over with or what.”

“I think ritual suicide might be slightly drastic,” Byakuya said quietly, his voice a little more like the one Renji’d heard in bedrooms and bookstores.

“Again, I politely disagree,” Renji said. 

“You don’t ‘politely’ do anything,” Byakuya murmured.

“Which is one reason we get along so fuckin’ well,” Renji replied with mock merriment. “I don’t take your shit.” His voice lowered. “Now answer my damned question.”

Byakuya swallowed and sighed through his nose. “I am what I must be and nothing more.”

“Not nearly good enough, Byakuya.”

“It’s all you’ll get, now-”

Renji made a frustrated noise and reached down to cup his hand over Byakuya’s crotch. He smirked when his fingers found hardening interest instead of soft indifference. 

Byakuya sucked in a breath and looked ready to kill Renji. But the hard-on buoyed hope in Renji’s mind; made him think he  _ could _ read this guy and understood something about him. So Renji bared his teeth in response to the deadly gaze, waiting on his answer.

“Very well,” Byakuya sighed. “I do what I must to preserve my family’s honor and my wife’s memory,” Byakuya said very quietly, sounding equal parts resigned and pissed. “I keep tight reigns on immaterial needs as I don’t normally deem them worthy of attention.” He paused. “And until recently, I was extremely good at control.” He sounded quite bitter about the whole thing.

Renji processed that for a second or two. “So you’re gay and spend too much time making other people happy.”

Byakuya snorted – a very undignified noise. “I would reply but I doubt it would make a difference to your forming opinion.”

“And when you get too backed up you invite guys up to a penthouse suite and spend some quality time with cocks and leather?” Renji couldn’t believe he’d been so blind when it came to this guy. He really was the stereotypical corporate closet case.

_ God, I’m such a dumbass. _

“No,” Byakuya said reluctantly. 

Renji’s gaze intensified. “Whattya mean, ‘no?’” he asked, infuriated. “It’s what you did to me!”

Byakuya just looked at him. 

Seconds went by and shock sucker punched Renji. “Wait a damned minute – you said, ‘recently…’”

The gray-eyed man sighed and arched an eyebrow as if waiting on a child to solve the problem on the board right in front of his face.

“You mean I’m the only one you’ve ever…” Renji trailed off, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Impressive deduction; I salute you.” Byakuya’s eyes grew hard and flinty. “Now get your hand off me before I break every bone in your arm.”

Renji removed his hand but bodily blocked Byakuya from leaving. “Seriously?” Renji asked, still dazed. “But…all that shit with the leather and silk and…” Renji looked at Byakuya, feeling lost. That had been one of – if not  _ the _ – most intense orgasms of his life. And everything was so carefully planned and…

“Is it so surprising?” Byakuya sighed, a world of emotion tainting the warm air. “Some of it was instinct, some was what I know I like…” Gray eyes slid away from Renji’s to stare at the wall. “You’ve never had a forbidden fantasy that you still wanted and researched, Renji?”

_ So not call boy at all…no, I was this guy’s one shot at being able to…fulfill his… _

Renji’s tongue felt thick in his mouth as he recalled Byakuya’s words – 

_ “Thank you…you have my gratitude…” _

\- and the way he looked nearly innocent in his study of Renji’s nude form. What Renji thought was teasing was actually inexperience. Renji felt entirely too hot and the room swam at the thought that this man – this exquisite, refined man, despite his fucked up flaws – chose Renji to trust. Renji couldn’t even  _ fathom _ the kind of balls it must have taken to do what Byakuya did. 

And knowing what Renji did now, everything made more sense: the way Byakuya came so fast back at the bookstore. Hell, the first time Renji had been with a guy it’d taken five strokes for him to come. Granted, he’d also been 12 but…

And the nervousness when Byakuya wrapped his wrists in the silk…That wasn’t anxiety over bondage – it was desire and nerves after years of denial. And…

_ Fuck…just…fuck. _

Then Renji thought about the desperation in Byakuya’s voice in bed in the early morning hours…

_ “Renji…make me come…” _

Renji shook his head, furiously frowning as every experience with Byaku – Byakuya, he corrected himself – reformed and remade themselves in Renji’s mind. And he winced as he realized that the bottle wasn’t the equivalent of cash on the nightstand; it was a parting gift. A memory, a thank you, a symbol…

Renji looked at the proud, complicated man next to him and reached with two fingers to touch Byakuya’s jaw; tried to get him to look at Renji. “Byakuya…” Renji said softly, anger and hurt gone in his revelation of this man.

Byakuya jerked his chin away from Renji’s touch, not allowing it. “Now that you have your understanding, I’ll take my leave, if you please.” He nodded to indicate Renji should step back.

“I don’t please,” Renji said. “I want to see you again.”

“I’m afraid that is not possible.” Byakuya brushed Renji’s arm aside and began to walk away.

“Bullshit it’s not. What’s stopping you?” Renji called after the stubborn man.

Byakuya turned his head to speak over his shoulder, eyes down on the floor. “I already explained things to you, Renji. Leave it be.” 

“That family crap? You’re rich and powerful and the CEO aren’t you? Do whatever the hell you want. God knows you’ve done what  _ they _ want for long-”

Byakuya whirled and looked angry and confused and stripped. “That ‘family crap’ is important, Abarai. But I do not expect someone with your background to understand such a thing.” 

The barb hurt and hit home, and Renji’s vision grew red again. “Oh fuck me, I’m sorry: I forgot an orphan  _ like myself _ wouldn’t understand your kind of family. And thank the gods for that!” Renji stalked toward Byakuya with his lips pulled back in a snarl. “The kind of family I know takes me as I am and loves me  _ for _ it. Not despite it.”

Byakuya’s mouth stretched into a cruel smile. “Then I suggest you remain grateful for your little, low-class world and definition of familial ties and leave the more difficult and sacrificing decisions to the adults, dear child.” The man spun on his heel and stalked around the wall toward the door.

“Yeah, and you keep dreamin’ of my fuckin’ cock and wishing you could have another taste, old man!” Renji yelled, but he blinked back tears of rage as he heard the lock release and Byakuya leave him to stand alone in a cold room.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ Oh my. The plot, and the dicks, thicken.
> 
> ∞ Tobi's is first seen in the story, Undercurrents. Owned by Madara.
> 
> ∞ The late night radio show from which Ichigo wins the gift cards is Kiba's program, "Open Line - Bite Me Monoshizukanohi." Much more of that in Rhythm & Bruise.
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	6. Chapter 6

Head tilted and one eye closed, Renji scrutinized the display. Yep…the thing was most definitely crooked.

_ Fabulous. _

With a sigh, Renji walked around to the back of the cardboard cut-out and attempted to fix the stand so that Die of Dir en grey’s feet didn’t float in the air. Renji’s hand slipped and the cardboard bit into his skin.

“Fuck!” Renji hissed and snatched his hand back to shake out the pain. Cardboard papercuts were truly the work of evil. Renji sucked on his thumb and sighed through his nose.

_ Never a dull moment… _

A few weeks ago, a fashion designer named Mira who worked with several record labels and even more rock bands came across Renji’s eyewear on the store’s website. She liked what she saw, and called Renji to discuss business and fashion. The phone call had been seriously surreal, but in the end Renji was many thousands of dollars richer as she purchased his stock outright. 

And then, to make things even sweeter, Renji got to design a few pairs specifically for various rock stars. That had meant a solid week of absolutely no sleep, but it culminated in Renji getting to hand over the glasses in person to many of his idols. Not to mention the free concert tickets complete with VIP treatment for Renji and seven of his dearest friends.

Renji was pretty sure they’d all been hung-over for a solid week. And Rukia was never going to let him live down the vomit-in-the-shoe incident.

Chuckling and wiping his hand on his jeans, Renji flexed a piece of cardboard on the stand that Mira sent to Howl to promote the bands and Renji’s success. It was one of several pieces of promotional material, and Renji was more than happy to put it out for customers. One final adjustment seemed to do the trick and Renji checked to confirm that all band members now stood on even ground.

The door chimed and Renji looked up to see Shuuhei come in, coffee in one hand, paper tucked under his arm, and a pair of black HOWL specials perched on top of his head. 

“Morning,” Renji said to his former roommate and part-time employee. Shuuhei was a tattoo artist, played guitar in a local band, and probably had another odd job or two in addition to Howl. The man didn’t sit still very well; he was even worse than Renji in that respect. But lately he and Renji’s talks about opening a tattoo shop either together or in conjunction to Howl had grown more serious. Renji was thrilled at the idea of his friend finally getting to do what he wanted – ink people for a living – and considering Shuuhei’s help with Renji’s store, turn about was more than fair play.

Shuuhei grunted and raised the massive coffee, indicating that he was not yet human. Renji rolled his eyes but understood; it took him an average of three cups of java to remember he was on planet Earth in the mornings.

With a curt nod, Shuuhei made his way to the counter and sat on the high stool behind the register. The store didn’t open for another half hour, and Renji brushed his hands on his jeans before making his way back to his office. He walked the length of the store, opened a door in the back, went down a short hallway with three doors – bathrooms and office – and went through the one on the left. 

Walls covered in everything from art to posters to fashion outtakes to dirty limericks surrounded Renji on all sides, and in the middle of the room was a massive rug in crazy neon colors. Two desks faced each other – one for Renji, one for Shuuhei – and the desks, too, were done in day-glo paint. Renji’d found the things at a yard sale years ago, beaten and battered. He and Shuuhei spent an afternoon behind the store drinking beer and quite literally dumping buckets of paint over the desks until everything within 100 yards was covered. 

Sitting in his chair with the squeaky wheel, Renji tapped at the old Mac and began his morning routine of email and inventory.

After a couple of minutes, Shuuhei came into the office.

“Lydia’s here,” Shuuhei said, referring to one of the sales girls. 

Renji nodded. Shuuhei sat at his desk with his feet propped up and took a swig of coffee as he flipped open the newspaper. He turned a page, gurgled, and began coughing up a coffee-soaked lung.

Laughing, Renji looked over at his friend. “Ya gonna make it?” 

Shuuhei nodded his head and kept coughing, one fist beating on his sternum. 

Sighing, Renji got up and crossed to Shuuhei to pound once on his friend’s back. Shuuhei waved him away and tried to cover the newspaper with one arm.

“What the hell man?” Renji asked.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it,” Shuuhei wheezed.

But it was too late. Renji went still as he nudged aside Shuuhei’s arm and read the headline on page three:

_ “Heir to Kuchiki Stone Steps Down as CEO.” _

And just like that, two months of tequila shot therapy were totally blown to shit when Renji saw Byakuya’s cool gaze staring at him in black and white. 

“Don’t read it?” Shuuhei suggested.

“Like hell,” Renji replied. 

_ “Kuchiki Byakuya officially stepped down as the Chief Executive Officer of his family’s company yesterday in an annual financial meeting,”  _ the article reported. _ “Kuchiki gave his resignation and appointed a cousin as acting CEO for the duration of this quarter. It will be determined at the end of the fiscal year if Kuchiki Hiroki will remain in his new position or if there will be another family appointment. According to sources, the former CEO will not be resuming his position in the foreseeable future.” _

“Shit,” Renji whispered. Shuuhei watched Renji read, worry etched across his face.

_ “Kuchiki Stone is the oldest privately-owned family company in the country. The LLC owns and operates all levels of construction with naturally occurring building supplies – primarily granite and marble – and is involved in the planning and building of all types of structures from schools to temples to private homes. For the past 150 years, the company has been passed down from father to son, making the current heir’s resignation historic and surprising.”  _

Renji skipped several lines down the page, the heel of his left hand coming up to rest against his breastbone.

_ “…and in a public statement about his resignation, Kuchiki Byakuya sited concern for his personal health due to overwork and stress as being his primary reason for his resignation. It is unclear if the former heir has any long-standing health issues as until this announcement Kuchiki successfully maintained his family’s company and was instrumental in expanding investments, project scope, and charity causes…” _

Renji took a step back, mouth set in a thin line.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Shuuhei said.

“Even if it was something, it wouldn’t matter to me, would it?” Renji asked, turning and walking back to his own desk.

“I just meant I’m sure he’s healthy.” Renji could feel Shuuhei’s assessing gaze on him. “Not anything to worry about, in other words.”

“I’m not worried.”

_ No…I’m pissed. Pissed that reading three paragraphs about the damned Kuchiki heir has me hopeful and hot and miserable all over again. _

Shuuhei sighed and let it drop. 

Lunchtime found Renji behind the counter of his own store and not for the first time he wondered why he didn’t hire more staff. He liked the hands-on approach, sure, but on days like today, Renji wished he could just leave and go for a long drive. Maybe take the train into the country and stay at some stupid bed and breakfast and not face anyone he knew for a week. 

Hide, in other words.

Frowning at his own cowardice, Renji straightened a stack of flyers advertising a local band. It’d been just over two months ago since Renji and Byakuya faced-off in the bathroom at Tobi’s. 

_ Actually, it’s been nine weeks, three days, and roughly twelve hours…but who’s counting? _

Renji didn’t say a thing to his friends or answer their questions when he returned to their table that night. Instead, he gripped Ichigo’s shoulder, thanked him again for inviting him out, and then he went home and stayed in bed for three days. For 72 hours, he allowed himself to wallow and think about Byakuya: the man’s past, how hard it must be for the proud man to exist in his elite world, how much it sucked that Renji existed in a different world entirely, and everything they’d done in painful, full-color detail. 

After that, he resumed his life and acted like nothing happened. His friends let it drop, and after a week or two of the worried glances, they assumed Renji was over it. Renji never told Rukia, and by silent pact neither did anyone else. No need to upset her over the whole thing, after all. Not when it was so painfully and obviously over.

Time slipped by, the weather got warmer and then outright hot as summer took over the city. Renji worked, went home, and had the occasional dinner with friends. He didn’t date, didn’t go fishing at Cain’s Books, and he turned down the extremely pretty boy who asked him out two weeks ago at the store.

Renji just wasn’t…interested. And if his friends noticed the change in Renji’s pattern, they didn’t comment upon it, thankfully. Renji wasn’t sure what the hell he would say.

_ I don’t want anybody but Byaku. And everyone else pales in comparison. _

God he was pathetic, and Renji wasn’t sure what was worse: being so pitiful or being powerless to do anything about it. But, on the plus side, he’d taken up boxing again with his personal trainer – something his recent success afforded Renji. Punching the shit out of a bag or the occasional human being covered in heavy pads did wonders for frustration.

Renji straightened the counter needlessly and tried very hard not to think about Byakuya. One would think Renji’d be an old hat at that particular game, but it continued to be difficult. Renji didn’t know if he believed in curses or fate, but he felt that the Universe played some truly wicked games and definitely cheated.

And that was the first thought that came to Renji’s mind when the door chimed and the object of Renji’s self-loathing and obsessive state stepped into the cool interior of the store. 

“Oh, of course you’re here,” Renji said darkly. “It only makes sense for you to be here, after all.” Renji got up to walk in front of the counter with his arms crossed. This was probably another fucking dream; it sure felt surreal enough. He was likely passed out on the counter and drooling, and it wouldn’t be the first time Byakuya showed up when Renji was unconscious and couldn’t put up a fight.

“Yes,” Byakuya amiably agreed. “Is anyone else?”

“No,” Renji spat. “They’re at lunch.” It irked Renji to no end that this bastard was so…so…Damned  _ calm _ . Showing up at the store like this? After weeks? 

Renji seethed.

“I see,” Byakuya said with a nod. Then he turned, threw the bolt to lock the front door, and reached to switch off the neon “OPEN” sign.

“The fuck you doing?” 

“Giving us some privacy,” Byakuya replied.

“We don’t need privacy; the only thing  _ we _ need is for you to get the fuck out, if you please.”

Byakuya smiled. “I don’t please.”

A high tension wire snapped and sparked inside of Renji. “Do you think I honestly give a shit what you fuckin’ please?” he bellowed. His face flushed hot and angry, sweat broke out on his skin, and he slammed a fist down onto the counter. “This is  _ my _ shop, we play by  _ my _ rules, and I say you get the  _ fuck _ out of here before I throw you out on your goddamned ass!”

“You can’t do that,” Byakuya said quietly, hands loosely clasped in front of him. And it was awful to look at him in jeans and a dark blue t-shirt because it made him look almost alien in his casualness; alien and young. His hair had three braids along the top of his head and Renji could see the silver beadwork in them, threaded into the woven strands. Byakuya looked beautiful and Renji wanted to kill him for it.

“The  _ fuck _ you say,” Renji snarled and stalked over to the slender man with bared teeth. He shoved Byakuya with enough force to make him stumble and nearly fall backward. And before Byakuya could regain his balance, Renji caught him with two fists twisted into the front of Byakuya’s overpriced cotton shirt. Renji shook the man. Hard. 

“If you think for one  _ second _ that I won’t-”

Byakuya’s hand came up in a blur and pressed against a spot on Renji’s wrist that made his hand go numb. Then Byakuya twisted with a cruel force that Renji could tell was meant to break bone but Byakuya held back. Renji issued a soft cry, and his body rolled and moved to spare itself pain. Once again, he felt like a Class A jackass, and the anger and humiliation he felt over that made him want to scream.

“You don’t understand,” Byakuya said, and his other hand came up to grip the back of Renji’s neck with startling pressure. 

“Let me go-” Renji began with a snarl.

“No,” Byakuya said, cutting Renji off with the single word and then with the fierce pressure of his mouth over Renji’s. 

_ Oh hell no he didn’t… _

Renji opened his mouth just slightly and bit at Byakuya’s lower lip, intent on putting a canine through the tender flesh. 

Byakuya released Renji’s wrist and gripped at Renji’s shirt. His mouth eased up with the pressure, and he made a quiet, pained sound. Renji’s eyes tried to slide shut when he felt Byakuya’s tongue lick along the inside of Renji’s upper lip, and Renji released the flesh from between his teeth and pulled back, gasping.

“What are…” Renji swallowed and tried again, forcing his head to clear. “Why are you here?”

“Did you see today’s paper?” Byakuya asked. He seemed to be having more trouble with the breathing thing than Renji was.

“Yeah. The article – I saw it.”

“Then you know.” Byakuya sounded consummately relieved and both of his hands moved to clutch at Renji’s shirt. Renji didn’t let go of his one-handed hold on Byakuya, and he thought it nuts that Byakuya was standing in his shop clinging to Renji for dear life and limb.

“That you stepped down? Yeah. Something about personal reasons or whatever-the-fuck, but-”

Renji stopped talking because Byakuya was making an odd noise. It took him a second to realize the man was laughing, but not in a pleased sort of way. It sounded, instead, somewhat…hysterical. 

“Byakuya?” Renji asked, unease and the faint flickers of concern displacing some of the rage.

Byakuya raised his head and gray eyes regarded him coolly. “What else do you know, Renji?” he asked.

“Why don’t you tell me and then we’ll both be enlightened,” Renji replied, not liking how quasi-desperate Byakuya seemed.

“You know you’re the reason I did it,” Byakuya said evenly. His fingers flexed in Renji’s shirt. 

The words made Renji’s guts turn to molten jelly, and his skin flushed hot again. “No, I-”

“You know that you’re all I’ve thought about for nine weeks. I’d have been here sooner, but there were so many strings to cut and tie that I couldn’t get away.” Byakuya swallowed. “You know I hate some part of you for all this, and I understand exactly nothing when it comes to the whys of our…situation. But in the end, Ren, there seems to be only you.” He sighed and shook his head, and the beads in his hair made a gentle clacking sound.

Renji stared at the other man for a second or two, playing catch-up. “You know, a phone call somewhere in all this might have done me a world of –"

Byakuya hissed – actually hissed – and refused to meet Renji’s gaze. “Am I not allowed to be bloody nervous about such a thing?” he snarled, voice suddenly many decibels louder than Renji’d ever heard it.

“Okay!” Renji said loudly, backpedaling. “You’re allowed to be anything you want, all right? Just…breathe or something. Jesus.”

Byakuya grunted and glowered. Renji released Byakuya and began to try and gently pry the hands off his shirt.

“Come back to the office,” Renji suggested. “If we keep grappling, we’re going to attract a crowd.” He eyed the glass windows along the store front. 

“That’s considerate of you,” Byakuya said almost absently. He let go of Renji’s shirt and stepped back, eyes focused somewhere to Renji’s right. “Lead the way, please.”

“Sure,” Renji said quietly and turned. As he walked the length of the store his mind spun in roughly nine thousand directions all at the same time. 

_ He’s here…and he kissed me. Sort of. And didn’t call because he was…nervous? _

The world had gone strange in the space of fifteen minutes, and Renji didn’t know if he should laugh, cry, punch the infuriating man who followed after Renji, or maybe some combination of all of the above.

_ Or you could just fuck him and leave him.  _

Renji almost laughed at that thought. Byakuya’d occupied some part of his brain and a larger part of his damned heart since the bookstore. Usually it took about ten shots of tequila to get Renji to admit that, but apparently one surprise Byakuya appearance was roughly equivalent to alcohol poisoning.

Reaching the door at the back of the shop, Renji opened it and held it for Byakuya. The man walked ahead of Renji and paused outside the office, easily deducing which door was the correct one. Renji fumbled for his keys and got the door unlocked – security caution since the bathrooms were right across the hall – and held that door for the other man, too.

“Thank you,” Byakuya said quietly and went into the office. Renji followed and when he locked the door behind them, the click echoed loudly in the room.

“I owe you a great debt,” Byakuya said, breaking the silence. His back was to Renji and Renji got lost staring at the way the three braids cascaded down between Byakuya’s shoulder blades. His hair was longer, and Renji’s fingers itched to touch it.

_ I’m so fucked. I’m pathetic and weak and so utterly, totally fucked. _

“Debt?” Renji asked, more for just something to say.

Byakuya shifted his weight and crossed his arms, back still to Renji. “Yes. I have not been…” He sighed. “I’ve behaved poorly.”

“That’s the fuckin’ understatement of the year.” Renji watched in fascination as Byakuya’s shoulders crept higher in response to Renji’s words. “But I think I can get over it.”

Byakuya said nothing in reply, but the long hair shifted in a mesmerizing way as his head fell forward. 

Renji know – absolutely knew – that he should be pissed and hurt and a hundred other things. And to be fair, he did feel many of those emotions. But he was also a giant ball of eager and hopeful; the newspaper headline flashed in front of his eyes and Byakuya’s scent kept teasing his nose.

_ He’s here…holy shit, he’s really here. _

Renji swallowed, feeling a little close to hysteria himself. “Did you really step down for me?” Renji asked, walking closer.

“Yes,” Byakuya admitted. Wild dogs seemed to drag the word from the bowels of Byakuya’s soul, and Renji repressed a smile. Such a proud bastard…

“Why did you do that?”

“I should think that would be obvious.”

“Humor…me…”

One of Byakuya’s hands came down to rest on his narrow hip, the other falling to his side. Renji could see muscles moving underneath the thin cotton of the shirt.

“I did it because it was necessary to exist both with my family and with you involved in my life.” 

Spoken like a true diplomat: honest yet vague, Renji thought. He stifled a chuckle. 

“Why did you come here?” Renji asked.

“To see if you were interested in continuing our fascinating conversations,” Byakuya said drolly.

“Really?” Renji asked. Almost at Byakuya’s back, Renji breathed in deeply and blew the air out hard enough to rustle the other man’s hair. Renji watched Byakuya’s shoulders rock in a shiver. 

“You wanna talk, huh?”

“It would be wise at some point, yes,” Byakuya replied, head turning so he could see Renji from the corner of one eye. 

The look was all the invitation Renji needed and then some. The anger and hurt from weeks on end without Byakuya melted away from Renji, and he found it relatively easy to let them go. The lust helped, but honestly if Renji were really done with this man he could easily put a lid on that and send Byakuya away. 

But Renji really didn’t want to do that. Not at all.

Sure, they needed to talk, and yes, Renji would be wary for a while. But the man played his hand well: make the grand and public gesture, seek out Renji, appear suddenly to prove his intentions, and be Byakuya’s usual intoxicating self while he was at it. 

_ Yep…really and truly fucked. But I’ve known that since the goddamned bookstore… _

Sliding his arms around Byakuya, Renji gently pulled the man’s back flush with Renji’s front. Some part of him couldn’t believe this was happening at all; but most of him felt like this was the most natural thing in the world and screamed choruses of hallelujah.

“At some point, hm?” Renji said. He felt Byakuya’s leg shake and smiled when Byakuya shifted his weight to make it stop. “But what do you want at  _ this _ point, Byakuya?”

Byakuya turned in Renji’s arms and looked him dead in the eye while one hand reached down and cupped over the bulge that had started forming the moment Renji locked the office door. “To fuck, Renji.” Byakuya said the coarse word deliberately with a tilted head and a sly smile. “The hell do you  _ think _ I want to do?”

Grinning Renji pulsed his hips into Byakuya’s hand and leaned down to kiss him. It was pure bliss and Renji sighed a long exhale in sheer satisfaction. The kiss started simply enough: a press of lips and Renji gently sucked Byakuya’s bottom lip between his own. But then all he could think about was the way Byakuya’s hand gently caressed him through the denim, the way his scent seemed to get lodged in the back of Renji’s throat, and Byakuya’s mouth was soft and warm and…

Renji groaned and his hand fisted in Byakuya’s hair, pressing him closer. There’d been enough teasing, enough damned torture, and from the way Byakuya made a noise that rumbled his chest, Byakuya agreed. The kiss grew savage, and hands went everywhere. Renji lost track of what he touched – back, arms, ass, and all of the places in between. Byakuya mimicked the movements, and Renji started backing them up toward his desk.

When the backs of his thighs hit an edge, Renji stopped. He leaned against the desk and spread his legs before pulling Byakuya between them. Renji’s hands went down to clutch at Byakuya’s ass, and Renji force-ground Byakuya’s covered cock against his own. His tongue licked and tasted and his mouth refused to break the kiss, and Renji could hear Byakuya breathing shallowly through his nose.

_ So good…oh God this is too fucking… _

Brain full of white noise, Renji whimpered urgently when shaking fingers found his belt and started undoing the clasp. Byakuya’s mouth slipped wetly away from Renji’s and hazy eyes looked down at Renji’s face.

“Yeah…” Renji said against his lover’s chin. “Oh God…Byakuya…please…”

Byakuya’s eyes grew heated and oddly tender as he got the belt loose and the button on Renji’s jeans undone. Byakuya licked his lips and leaned down to bite Renji’s shoulder through his t-shirt while reaching inside Renji’s pants to push clothing out of the way. Renji shuddered when Byakuya’s hand found him and stroked without finesse or preamble. 

“How do you want this?” Byakuya husked. 

Renji smiled and then stood. He ignored Byakuya’s hand on his length as he made fast work of Byakuya’s pants. In a handful of breathless seconds Byakuya’s cock was in Renji’s fist and free to the artificially chilled air.

Renji hummed. “I’ll tell you how I want this.” Renji watched Byakuya’s eyes flicker up to meet his before staring at Renji’s lips. “You’re going to take your cock -” Renji half-groaned as he stroked Byakuya until the man gasped. Renji loved the motion of his mouth when he panted like that. “- and fuck me until we come.” 

The words made Byakuya’s head roll back and chest rise and fall in a faster rhythm. Renji shoved Byakuya’s face to one side and kissed cheek and neck and earlobe. “And then later, I’m going to pay you back for makin’ me wait.” Renji shoved Byakuya’s pants down in a brief display of violence and slipped his hand down between the man’s legs until his fingers brushed tight entrance. Byakuya went rigid and stopped breathing while Renji’s middle finger circled a clenching ring of muscle. Renji’s other hand closed over Byakuya’s on Renji’s cock and forced it to stroke faster and harder.

“I’m gonna tease you ‘til you beg for it and fuck you until you scream,” Renji said, lips brushing the shell of Byakuya’s ear.

Byakuya’s throat worked as he swallowed a growl, and his hands fell away in favor of bodily shoving Renji back against the desk. He nearly ripped Renji’s shirt as Byakuya shoved fabric up and sought skin under it, and Renji wrapped an arm around Byakuya’s waist and pulled them both back and on top of the desk. Their mouths locked, teeth biting and nearly tearing in their haste and greed, and somehow Renji reached down, got the top desk drawer open, and fumbled blindly until his hand found the small tube of lube he kept there.

Byakuya made a low noise of need and eagerness, and he propped one knee up on the desk. Renji let go of Byakuya’s waist, kissing him even as he squeezed a generous helping of slick into his own hand. Renji tossed the tube aside and gripped the back of Byakuya’s neck while he sucked at Byakuya’s tongue and made him moan. Renji’s other hand moved down and sought hot skin. He wrapped his palm around Byakuya and smeared and stroked and teased.

Byakuya tore his mouth away to find air and Renji attacked his neck. 

“Renji…God…” Byakuya breathed.

“You’re gonna feel so damned good,” Renji said against the front of Byakuya’s throat. Renji’s cock twitched and asshole spasmed just thinking about it, and he made quick work of the prep. He shoved Byakuya off of Renji’s body and the desk to give himself room to turn around. Once he faced the desk, Renji reached backward, hands coming up to grip dark hair and force Byakuya’s torso forward and head sideways. Renji twisted to meet Bykuya’s lips in a messy, breathy kiss, and he gasped when Byakuya gently ground his dick against Renji’s bare ass. Sighing through his nose, Renji let the man go so Renji could face fully forward and bend over the desk. Renji spread his legs to get the right height, and his heart threatened to come out of his chest in anticipation and sheer, unadulterated,  _ want. _

“Should I…” Byakuya panted and swallowed. Renji felt light fingers caress his lower back, and he shivered. 

Looking over his shoulder, Renji’s brown eyes met hooded gray ones. “Just go slow. I can take you.”

Byakuya grunted in acknowledgement, teeth chewing the inside of his bottom lip. Eyes still on Renji’s, Byakuya used one hand to push aside rounded flesh, and he used the other to line himself up. Renji felt dizzy, and the sight of Byakuya’s mouth falling open with sweat standing out on his forehead despite the cool room made Renji push back against the cock at his ass.

“Come on,” Renji encouraged. 

Licking his lips, Byakuya circled the head of his cock to slick Renji’s rim and tease them both for a second or two. Blinking slowly, Renji watched as Byakuya grew still and focused and finally his eyes pulled away from Renji’s to look down as he slowly – achingly slowly – pushed the head of his cock into Renji’s body. His eyes went wider and his lips parted, and Renji drank it all in with a choked suck of air. Renji’s hand slammed against the desk and sought the far edge. He gripped the wood and gritted his teeth. God it’d been forever since he bottomed, and holy  _ shit _ did it feel...hot, strange, full, and fucking  _ good. _

But the feeling was nothing compared to watching Byakuya’s face as he slid into Renji for the first time. Byakuya let go of a tiny, breathy cry when barely an inch of his cock was inside Renji, and Renji felt fingers scrabble and clutch at his hips. Byakuya’s eyes squeezed shut, his jaw muscles flexed, and his whole body shook.

“Fuck yeah,” Renji growled. He focused on making muscles relax and easing the sting, watching and wanting.

“God,” Byakuya husked. “Renji…” He pushed forward and sank the rest of the way into Renji’s body with a slow, sweet glide that made Renji cry out in both discomfort and pleasure. Byakuya half collapsed across Renji’s back, one hand still on his hip and the other smacking down on the neon wood. 

_ Thank God I cleaned off my desk yesterday. _

Renji started to laugh at the thought but was distracted when Byakuya slowly pulled back, his long cock dragging for a shuddering forever, and then thrust in carefully and semi-shallow. He tilted his hips like he’d read a damned how-to manual and the next drag and thrust forced his cock to nudge Renji’s prostate on both the pull and push. 

“Shit,” Renji groaned, long and loud. “Yeah…Byaku…god, like that.”

Byakuya moaned syllables that sounded vaguely like Renji’s name. Then he repeated the movement with a slow pace that had Renji shuddering and his insides tingling in ten strokes. His eyes fell out of focus, and his head lolled forward onto his arm. A hand gripped the band holding back his hair, and Byakuya kept his rhythm while he slipped the elastic free. Fingers wrapped in and around Renji’s hair and then pulled sharply, forcing a grunt from Renji’s lungs. Byakuya did it again, only this time he thrust harder at the same time.

“Oh  _ fuck _ ,” Renji cried out, not caring how loud he was. “Do it again.”

The chuckle that erupted from the man behind Renji was enough to make him clench his hand into a fist to keep from reaching down to stroke himself.

_ Not yet…not yet…  _

“Mm, but I do love the way your ass sucks me in,” Byakuya rumbled and Renji felt him shiver. 

“Yeah,” Renji said, the need for release spiraling higher and hotter. It  _ burned.  _

“Shit…fuck me, Byaku.” Renji’s body rolled to meet Byakuya’s thrusts and the knuckles of the hand holding onto the desk went white. “God…  _ fuck…me…” _

With a guttural groan, the hand in Renji’s hair yanked and Byakuya’s hips pistoned forward with the exact push and drag that Renji loved. His hand squeaked against the wood of the desk, palm slick with sweat and sliding. Renji’s legs trembled and he leaned harder against the desk with his upper body for balance, eyes sliding closed. Sparks of electricity shot down his spine and up his cock with startling intensity, and he let heat and the knowledge that Byakuya was fucking him so, so good wash over him and make him ache for it.

“So tight around my dick, Ren,” Byakuya purred. “You…feel…too…damned…good…” His voice thick with pleasure and control was intoxicating, and Renji couldn’t reply with words so he moaned for the man who fucked him hard, sure, and slow. The hand in Renji’s hair tightened again, and Renji’s neck snapped back when the pressure increased. He struggled to breathe and felt need pull at him: urgent, insistent. 

“ _ Christ _ ,” Byakuya called out. His thrusts were precision-perfect, and from the corner of his eye, Renji saw Byakuya’s head back, a strand of sweaty hair stuck to the side of his face. Renji blinked slowly at the stains forming beneath Byakuya’s arms and watched the way he moved as he thrust into Renji’s willing body. With a grunt and soft hiss, willpower broke and Renji’s hand went down to wrap around his cock. The flesh jumped under the touch, and Renji kept the pace slow or he would come from the sight of Byakuya alone. He didn’t want it to end…not yet. Not when Byakuya looked like a god undone by Renji’s ass and his cock felt so…so…

Renji moaned: filled and fucked.

Byakuya gasped and bit his lip, head coming forward to catch Renji’s gaze. Eyes locked in mutual desperation, and Renji knew exactly what he needed to get them what they wanted.

“ _ Nnngh _ -fuck…faster…” Renji whispered, eyes slipping closed and hand gliding on his slick cock. “Please…Christ… _ ooooh _ …”

Renji saw spots of color and black when Byakuya picked up speed. Vaguely Renji’s brain registered that Byakuya didn’t just slam into Renji’s body with abandon – instead, he did exactly what Renji told him felt good. Felt fucking  _ amazing. _ And he did it over…and over…and over…

“Byaku… _ fucking hell _ …I’m…oh God…” Renji’s eyes opened sightlessly, and he couldn’t catch his breath.

“ _ Yes _ ,” Byakuya hissed. The hand on Renji’s hip tightened and he felt the sting of nails biting into his skin. The hand in his hair was painfully perfect, the angle of his neck making heat and other things swirl just right. Renji’s legs shook uncontrollably, his muscles screamed, and he switched his strokes to just  _ that _ speed and  _ that _ tension. He palmed the head of his cock once, twice, in fast succession and Renji was suddenly on the edge with breathless haste.

“ _ Oh…ooh! _ ” Renji sob-gasped, high and helpless, and he sucked down a gulp of oxygen. 

“Let me hear you,” Byakuya commanded, and Renji cried out in an explosion of noise and air as he came, shaking and shuddering. The hand in his hair let go and Renji’s body went rigid and feverish as he shot ropes of release onto his hand, the desk, and the floor. Renji collapsed down, nose brushing the desk as a stroke to his prostate made him jerk. Behind him, Byakuya gave a half-yell and suddenly bent over Renji to bite into his neck, body quaking. Renji cried out again as Byakuya made soft sounds of pleasure and relief that seemed to last a lifetime until finally his mouth released Renji’s skin, and a damp forehead fell to rest against Renji’s shoulder.

Time passed but Renji paid it no mind. Seconds, hours, days…it didn’t matter. Ever-so-slowly he came back to himself and let go of the desk, wincing as his fingers protested the movement. His elbows were killing him from holding himself up, and his knee popped when he shifted his weight minutely.

“I think I needed that,” Byakuya mumbled. He still lay on top of Renji, face buried in Renji’s back, chest heaving and hair a sticky, sweaty mess that tangled with Renji’s. 

Laughing, Renji swallowed a few times experimentally. “Yeah,” he rasped, voice rough. “I think you did.”

Strangely – and in a move that made Renji realize Byakuya was going to be one of those people who continually surprised him – Byakuya kissed Renji’s cheek and nuzzled the skin there with his nose. He grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the desk that managed to survive their fucking, and Renji grunted as he felt Byakuya leave his body and felt Byakuya begin wipe away the mess. 

“That’s fucking weird of you,” Renji muttered, shifting with a soft groan. He felt moisture slip from his body and get wiped away from his legs.

“I’d use my tongue, but I rather you were a bit cleaner for that, I think.”

Renji froze as that set of mental images assaulted him. He gulped and looked over his shoulder at Byakuya who returned his stare with a playful gaze.

“Shit…you  _ are _ a closet freak.”

Byakuya grinned and it made Renji’s legs feel weaker than they already were. “Not so closeted now, Ren.” 

Renji grunted and stood up, adjusting clothing as he went. Byakuya tossed used tissues in the trash can next to the desk and grabbed more from the box. Renji watched semi-fascinated as Byakuya managed to make clean-up somehow graceful. 

“Let’s get ourselves together and go,” Byakuya said, doing up his fly.

“Go?” Renji asked, smiling as Byakuya tried to smooth down his hair and sort out the braids.

“I thought I’d take you back to my place, if that’s…all right with you?” Byakuya looked at Renji expectantly.

“Your place?” Renji’s heart and mind did a little skip at the thought of seeing where Byakuya lived; at being invited and wanted there.

Byakuya nodded with a small twist of his lips. “Yes. That building where I tend to sleep when I’m in town.”

“Smart ass.”

“Obviously. I just managed to have  _ your _ ass.”

Renji stared at Byakuya in shock for a second and then laughed while Byakuya watched, smile playing on his lips.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	7. Chapter 7

After a visit to the restroom, Renji cleaned up the office and left a note so Shuuhei wouldn’t kill him later. Then he locked doors with the jangle of keys, and the two men were outside in the sunshine. Byakuya walked purposefully down the sidewalk and Renji followed him toward a silver limousine that sat parked on the side of the street. When the two got close, a huge guy with extremely dark skin and darker suit got out of the vehicle and moved quickly to hold the door open for Byakuya and Renji.

“Thanks,” Renji said to the driver. The man merely inclined his head with a small smile.

The door shut behind Renji, and he watched Byakuya get comfortable in the corner seat, facing front. Without hesitation, Renji maneuvered himself over to sit next to Byakuya, arm slipping around him to pull him close.

Byakuya arched an eyebrow at Renji.

“Oh deal with it,” Renji said playfully. He leaned over and nuzzled his nose against Byakuya’s neck before sitting up and looking at Byakuya. “I get cuddly after sex, and you’ll forgive me if I wanna take every chance I’ve got to touch you, Byakuya. You’re a little too good at the disappearing act.” Renji gave Byakuya a level look.

Lips pressed into a line, Renji understood his expression to mean Byakuya was a little ashamed of that. 

“I know,” the man in Renji’s arms replied. “It won’t happen again, and it was unfortunately necessary previously.”

Renji snorted. “Uh-huh. ‘cause you were scared.”

Byakuya’s head snapped so that he could glare at Renji. But before Byakuya could actually say anything, Renji kissed him, one of his hands coming up to lightly touch Byakuya’s cheek. Renji was thrilled when Byakuya sighed and melted into the kiss, returning it with enthusiasm before pulling away.

“I owe you an apology while we’re,” Byakuya paused to swallow and turned his head away from Renji. “On the subject.”

“I think you already apologized,” Renji replied, right arm dropping so his hand rested on Byakuya’s thigh. “That bit about ‘great debts’ and whatever.”

Byakuya shook his head once. “My behavior when we met at Tobi’s was unbecoming.” He looked at Renji, and Renji saw an undercurrent of pain in the stormy eyes. “I did not mean what I said, and it’s unlike me to speak in anger.”

Renji shrugged. “You were pissed and worried about your company. I get it.”

Byakuya smiled. “Is it so easy for you to forgive me?”

Now Renji grinned at him. “Probably not, but the sex helps.”

Byakuya made a startled, unimpressed noise and rolled his eyes.

“It does,” Renji insisted, only half-serious. “But really I think I’m just happy to have you. To be with you.” Renji paused and tightened his arm around Byakuya. He felt like a sap for wanting to say it, but knew he should before he lost the guts. “Though I’d be lyin’ if I said I wasn’t confused as hell about what we are, exactly.”

“What we are?” Byakuya repeated as he studied Renji.

Renji nodded, slowly. “I go from thinkin’ you’re a quick fix in a bookstore to being obsessed with you wanting me again. Then I think I’m some sort of call boy – “

“Call boy?” Byakuya interrupted. “That’s what you truly thought?”

“Well, yeah,” Renji replied, color rising on his cheeks. “The hell else was I to think? I was obviously there for sex and then you vanished.”

Byakuya looked down, lips moving to form an unhappy expression.

“It’s okay,” Renji soothed. “That all got sorted out back at Tobi’s.”

“Yes,” Byakuya said, disdain in his voice. “I suppose it did, at that.”

Renji sighed an exasperated puff of air and tried to pull Byakuya closer, but the man resisted, looking at Renji coldly from the corner of his eye.

“Fine,” Renji groused. “Be a stubborn ass. You’re so good at it.”

“Renji-” Byakuya warned.

“I love that you chose me,” Renji pushed on, interrupting. “And since you’ve been around there’s been no one else in my life. That’s rare for me, as you know.”

_ And were so keen to point out back at Tobi’s. _

Renji mentally kicked himself. So, he wasn’t entirely done being hurt. That was all right, really, but anger didn’t serve any good purpose here. Renji didn’t want a fight – not now; not after the office and not when he was so close to what he wanted and dreamed about for so long. He pushed the hurt and anger aside, telling them firmly to go to hell.

Byakuya studied Renji in silence for a moment and then nodded once. 

“So…what is this?” Renji asked quietly. He thought he knew; he was pretty sure he knew, actually. But he also needed Byakuya to say it after the roller coaster the man’d put Renji on for months without end.

“This is something that is worth rearranging my life,” Byakuya said calmly. 

“Yeah,” Renji sighed. “I can’t believe you did that, actually.”

“It was necessary.” Byakuya glanced at Renji once and then turned to look out the tinted window. “Even if you didn’t return my sentiments, I knew I had to step down. Because I had to try for you. As present as you say I was in your thoughts, you were also in mine, and I knew my resolve to continue the charade for the sake of my family’s company was broken. And even if we don’t last, this is the way things need to be for me to find peace.”

Byakuya’s words were rational and thoughtful. But even though he spoke with seeming indifference, Renji saw the way his hand formed a loose fist where it rested against the door. The fingers curled, Byakuya’s body went slightly rigid, and those two tiny signals were all Renji needed to understand Byakuya’s loneliness, his resolve, and his new sense of self claimed at a very high price and probably more than a few hundred sleepless nights.

And that carefully concealed pain vanquished any remaining resentment in Renji. Thinking about Byakuya being in pain in the abstract was bad enough; seeing him show hurt in person was awful. Just…awful.

Renji turned sideways in the seat and wrapped strong arms around the slighter man, not caring that Byakuya tensed and resisted. He pulled Byakuya until he had to fight Renji or give in, and Renji was grateful Byakuya chose option two. Carefully, Renji pushed Byakuya’s back against Renji’s chest. One of Renji’s legs braced on the floor of the limo and the other rested on the seat, shin against Byakuya’s backside. 

“Relax,” Renji said in Byakuya’s ear. “I know stepping down in the company was the hardest thing you’ve ever done in your life, and you did it for me even though you didn’t know if I still wanted you. But I do, and I’m here, so let me hold you, damn it.”

Byakuya said nothing, but he shifted sideways to let Renji uncurl his leg. Renji rested it against the seat, and Byakuya let Renji pull him flush against Renji’s chest. 

“What does stepping down mean, exactly?” Renji asked after a moment. His was a brain divided: one half wanted to talk and to comfort and the other half wanted to physically show Byakuya that it wasn’t a mistake to make sacrifices for Renji or to be true to himself. Renji wanted to distract Byakuya, prove a point, and comfort him in any way he could. But for now, Renji settled for asking more questions and letting his fingers lightly caress Byakuya’s side through his shirt.

“It means I’m no longer the figure head or the person who primarily makes the decisions for the company,” Byakuya replied, his voice lower. Renji felt him relaxing against him by degrees, and it was beyond merely nice and well into painfully satisfying.

“And by stepping down I’ve also indicated that I’ve no interest in continuing the family line of succession.”

“Well, at least they’ll stop hounding you to date women, then, right?” 

“In theory, yes,” Byakuya replied.

“Is it…bad for you in…any way?” Renji didn’t know how to ask if stepping down meant he was cut off from his family and their finances. For one thing, he didn’t know what would be worse for Byakuya and for the other he didn’t want to be rude.

“Not really,” Byakuya intoned, shifting to get more comfortable against Renji. “I still own the company, but I’m letting someone else manage it. I think my cousin will be quite good at it, actually. But I maintain assets and veto power of decisions that involve investments or new ventures. Eventually, I will restructure documentation to ensure that the company will pass along to one of my cousin’s children.”

“Or one of yours,” Renji said. “I’m sure you’re familiar with this little process called ‘adoption.’”

Byakuya shrugged and shook his head. “It’s too much for me to consider at the moment. For now, I’m content that it’s in Hiroki’s hands, and truly the only things I’ve sacrificed are my pride and dignity.” He paused and when he spoke again, his voice was dull. “For I’m absolutely certain there will be unpleasant consequences when my family learns of you and our relationship.”

Renji frowned at that. “I’m sorry,” Renji said, thinking the situation sucked for Byakuya no matter how happy the turn of events made Renji. Or would hopefully make Byakuya in the long run.

“As I said, you are worth it, Renji,” Byakuya murmured. He said nothing for a long moment, and Renji just enjoyed the warm feeling in his chest. The two men breathed together, torsos rising and falling in a slow rhythm.

“I trust you didn’t tell Rukia about us?” Byakuya asked eventually.

_ If he keeps talking about “us” and “relationships” and bullshit, I think I’m going to have to fuck him in the limo just to keep from giggling like a goddamned girl. _

Renji cleared his throat and shifted backward on the seat, gently pulling Byakuya along with him. Byakuya followed Renji’s lead as they settled with Renji’s back against the side of the car, and two sets of long legs stretched out across the bench. “No,” Renji answered. “Didn’t figure there was a point.”

“I thought as much,” Byakuya stated, resting his head against Renji’s shoulder and the seat. “She didn’t call me to ask what in the hell I thought I was doing, so I assumed she didn’t know.”

Renji started a chuckle that ended in a laugh. “I still can’t believe you knew who I was back at the damned bookstore. Shit.” Renji shook his head and squeezed his arms around Byakuya. “How crazy was that for you? Some asshole friend of your adopted niece hits on you and drags you into a closet for a blow job…”

Renji stopped speaking to grin when Byakuya’s breath caught. He tried to cover it with a dainty cough, and for a second or two, Renji didn’t think Byakuya was going to say anything on the subject.

“It was rather dreamlike, actually.”

Renji’s eyebrows went up to his hairline. “Dreamlike?”

Byakuya didn’t fidget – Renji was sure the man thought it beneath him – but he did shift minutely against Renji. “Somewhat. I’d seen pictures and heard stories. I always thought you were worthy of attention.”

Renji played with the hem of Byakuya’s t-shirt, fingers brushing the bare skin beneath it. “Is that your way of sayin’ you thought I was hot and loved that I put the moves on you?”

Byakuya chuckled throatily. “Yes, I suppose it is.”

With a smile, Renji turned and kissed Byakuya’s temple and repressed a shiver when it hit him yet again that it was crazy he could do this. Kiss, hold, touch, talk…fuck. It was so new and stunning and felt like it should be illegal. 

“I thought you had some ass of a boyfriend who didn’t know how to treat ya right,” Renji whispered, lips moving against Byakuya’s hair. “Some guy who didn’t like sex in public or getting tied up in fancy hotels.”

Byakuya shifted again, and Renji’s eyes slipped to look hungrily at Byakuya’s crotch. But he kept one hand on the seat behind them and the other resting mostly-innocently on Byakuya’s stomach. Two months of celibacy was an eon for Renji and made sex the answer to any problem or situation. But curiosity managed to flare brighter than hormones for the moment.

“So you liked me and chose me for first-time fantasy duty, hm?”

“I should think that would be obvious,” was the reply, but Renji thought he could feel Byakuya’s heart beating harder. It was only fair; Renji’s was definitely picking up speed.

“That stuff we did in the hotel…you’d never done any of that with a guy before?” Renji asked. He couldn’t help himself; Renji knew the answer but the idea got him so turned on and flustered and made him want to hold and fuck and cry all at the same damned time.

Byakuya swallowed hard. “I’ve never done any of that with anyone before.”

Renji blinked. “Seriously?”

Byakuya laughed. “Yes, I’m being serious. Exactly how many times do I need to admit this, Renji?” He sounded more amused than bitter, and that made Renji relax.

“I don’t know…shit. It’s just…” Renji paused and pressed the flat of his hand against Byakuya’s stomach, other hand coming down to entwine their fingers. Byakuya’s head tilted to look at their joined hands. 

“I can’t imagine it, is all,” Renji mused, half to himself. “It must have been intense. Never been with a guy before, call me up, arrange this scene that puts you in charge. Which is good ‘cause you had control but bad ‘cause…you didn’t know how I’d react or how to…” He trailed off, unsure exactly of what to say.

_ This guy’s balls might actually be bigger than mine. _

Byakuya slowly turned his head and hooked a hand around Renji’s neck. Craning up he kissed Renji with a hot press of mouth and quick flicks of tongue. A sound of longing rumbled in Renji’s chest, and his hand pulled away from Byakuya’s stomach to cradle the tilt of his head, one thumb caressing Byakuya’s jaw.

Finally Byakuya pulled away. “I’m far from naïve, Renji,” he said, eyes dancing with mirth.

“Yeah, I got that,” Renji managed, trying to catch his breath. Damn but the man could kiss. “But still…took guts.”

“I’ve never been accused of lacking courage,” Byakuya said, turning again to rest the back of his head against Renji’s shoulder. “And I know myself and my capabilities despite what you may think of my denial for my family.”

“So how did all that work, exactly?” Renji blurted before he could stop himself. “Sex, I mean.”

Byakuya tilted his head to the side and looked at Renji, obviously amused. “You wish me to explain how one has sex with a woman?”

Renji made a choking sound. “No, of course not,” he spluttered. Renji truly rather not think about that at all, actually.

“Then what?” Byakuya said, impatience coloring his tone.

“Well…I mean…did you  _ like _ it? Or just do it ‘cause you had to or…?”

With a soft sound that Renji interpreted to be as much entertained as tired of the conversation, Byakuya joined their hands again. “I had sex with women when the situation called for it. It was easier with my wife. It was harder with dates – all of which were arranged. I usually excused myself as far too busy or still grieving to be concerned with such social interaction.”

“Huh,” Renji said. This was all new territory, really. Most of his friends were either gay or straight. None of them were bi so far as Renji knew. And absolutely none of them had ever been in a situation like Byakuya’s, obviously. It was kinda fascinating despite its tragedy.

“So did you ever do a woman in the ass?” Renji asked.

The indignant noise Byakuya made forced Renji’s face into a grin. 

“Is this conversation really necessary?”

“I’m just trying to figure this out,” Renji replied with mock innocence.

Byakuya sighed. “No, I did not.”

Renji didn’t really know what to do with the weight that came with being Byakuya’s first everything. Renji’d done virgins before and certainly blown them, but there’d been no lasting relationships or anything. Hell, there’d not been second dates. Or first dates, in some cases.

“So until me…” Renji began.

“Yes,” Byakuya said, sitting up and looking at Renji with a blank expression. But his eyes shone, and Renji knew that meant he wasn’t angry. His eyes got flat when he got pissed. “As I said, Renji: there is only you. And I’m afraid we must continue this discussion later. We’ve arrived.”

For all Renji knew or noticed, they were still parked back in front of Howl. He ducked down to look out the window at the high-rise. “What is this place?”

“The Heritage,” Byakuya answered, smiling  at Renji. “I live on the 56th floor.”

“Jesus,” Renji said as the driver got out to open the door for them.

“No, Kuchiki,” Byakuya replied. 

Renji laughed as he watched Byakuya climb out of the limo, following his lead after a second or two.

_ Yeah…he’s gonna keep surprising me all right. _

And Renji fervently cherished that thought.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ Oh yeah, the chit-chat chapter. I had fun. :D
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	8. Chapter 8

The Heritage was a grand affair with a doorman, valet service, private pool and sauna, and a massive aquarium in the lobby. Renji thought that even the fish looked smug. But he refrained from comment as Byakuya walked over to a wall of gold mailboxes and produced a key. A woman with dark hair hastily walked by Renji on her way to the entrance, and the doorman cleared her way.

“There’s a taxi waiting to take you to the hospital, Miss Haruno,” the doorman said.

The woman nodded and left without another word.

_ Huh…probably a doctor. Might make enough to live in this place if you cut people open all day. _

Renji looked around the lobby with his hands shoved in his pockets and tried not to appear terribly out of place. Byakuya slowly walked back toward Renji, mail in hand, and Renji noted that even in jeans and a t-shirt, Byakuya carried himself like royalty.

Damned irritating, that.

“Good day, sir,” said a man behind a black granite counter. Byakuya didn’t even acknowledge his existence as he went by, Renji in tow. Feeling kinda bad for the guy, who surely got treated like crap by all the Heritage residents, Renji nodded at the man before stopping next to Byakuya to wait on the elevator. Renji watched Byakuya sort his mail and frowned a little as they got into the shiny, moving compartment.

“Ya know, it wouldn’t kill you to notice your subordinates from time to time,” Renji muttered, eyes up and watching the numbers scroll higher as they rose.

Byakuya looked at Renji. “I beg your pardon?”

“Nothing.” Renji shifted and felt the gap between them start to widen dangerously into a maw.

There was silence for a second or two. “You mean the concierge?”

“It’s nothing. Sorry I brought it up.” Now Renji felt embarrassed. Of course Byakuya wouldn’t say anything to the man at the counter. He was just an employee, after all. But all Renji could think about were his days as a busboy and then server and all the fake smiles he’d thrown at snobby assholes who demanded solar systems as if they were their due as a member of the elite.

Byakuya folded his hands in front of him, mail clasped loosely between his fingers. “Sheldon’s been the concierge for the Heritage since I’ve been here. His wife’s name is Maryann, spelled without an “e,” they have two children – Bree and Joseph aged 9 and 5, respectively – and every Christmas I have my secretary send them a basket of foreign sweets as I know they like them.” 

Renji looked at Byakuya, shamefaced, but a little happier for the confession. Byakuya regarded Renji coolly but with something like curiosity in his gaze. Well, at least he wasn’t angry. 

“Oh,” Renji said.

“Do not mistake distant observation for complete disregard, Renji,” Byakuya said without bite. “I keep to myself but that does not make me…” He seemed to search for the word. “Immune.”

“Byakuya-“

“No matter,” Byakuya said, waving one hand as the doors opened. “You’re not the first to think me a cold bastard, Renji. Nor will you be the last.” Byakuya got out of the elevator and turned to the right. Renji followed and grabbed the other man’s elbow and pulled him closer.

“I’m sorry,” Renji said earnestly to the startled Byakuya. “And I don’t think you’re cold. I just don’t understand you entirely sometimes.”

“You understand more than most,” Byakuya said softly, head turned toward Renji but eyes down. 

“And I like it that way,” Renji said, matching Byakuya’s tone. He reached up and tenderly brushed Byakuya’s hair behind one ear. “So forgive my little fuck-ups while I learn everything about you…if you please.” Renji tried to smile, hopeful with heart pounding.

Byakuya’s lips turned upward in amusement. He nodded and stepped away. “I do please. And forgiven.” 

Renji blew out a puff of air and followed Byakuya down the hallway. Marble tile, expensive-looking wall paper, subtle lighting…yeah, this was one hell of a place. Renji tried to focus on the décor as opposed to the butterflies with teeth that were gnawing on his insides. He smiled wryly to himself while Byakuya unlocked the door with the silver filigree “5603” on the front. Byakuya not only made Renji  _ feel _ more than anyone else he knew; the man also challenged Renji. Definitely kept Renji on his toes.

_ Not such a bad thing…but damn I don’t want to piss him off.  _

Renji followed Byakuya inside and kicked himself for a second over being such a wuss. But then in a flash of self-realization, he understood that the sentiment had nothing to do with the fear or worry that Byakuya would up and leave if Renji did something wrong. Most of those fears were silenced when Renji recalled newspaper headlines and Byakuya’s words in the limo.

Instead, Renji realized that he wanted Byakuya happy. Just happy. And Renji would do anything to get him there. He watched Byakuya turn on a light in the long entry hallway and empty his pockets into a large bowl standing on a table near the door. He toed off his shoes, and Renji smiled as he observed Byakuya’s routine. Something about it made Renji relax a little, and a few of the butterflies receded.

“I’ve got it bad,” Renji sighed and muttered to himself, one hand coming up to the wall for balance so he could take off his shoes.

“Yes,” Byakuya replied. 

Renji damned his tendency to babble when nervous for the millionth time and looked up, butterflies back in force. Byakuya stood in the middle of the hallway, watching.

“But so do I,” Byakuya said. 

“Really?” Renji asked, wondering if and hoping that they were talking about the same thing.

Byakuya smirked a little and his eyebrows went up and down in admission. “So it seems.” He turned and walked deeper into the apartment, and Renji followed. Anxiety, hope, and happiness made for an interesting cocktail of emotion, and Renji tried not to let any of it get the best of him.

The hallway was long, walls covered in fine art and mirrors. They passed a nook with two doors on their right, then a set of double doors with panes of colored glass set into the wood on the left.

“Bathroom, den,” Byakuya narrated as they walked. “Guest bedroom.” Byakuya pointed to yet another closed door on an angle as the hallway turned to the right. Renji nodded and then his eyes went wide as the apartment opened up to reveal a large kitchen and living area surrounded by windows. A massive sectional sofa covered in a soft gray, suede took up a lot of the space. There was also a desk, a small table and chairs, and lots of low bookshelves under the windows. Rugs covered the teak flooring, the colors were gray, chrome, and light blue, and Renji saw a door to his right that must lead to the other bedroom. Several doors led off the back of the apartment and Renji could see Byakuya had a private terrace with one hell of a view. He walked over to a glass door and looked out, marveling.

“Wow,” Renji said.

“I can’t take credit; a decorator did most of the work,” Byakuya said as he moved to stand behind the kitchen counter, fingertips idly tracing a pattern on the stone. 

“You can see half the city from here,” Renji said. 

“I don’t like feeling enclosed.”

“Mission accomplished,” Renji laughed and looked over his shoulder. “Did you live here with your wife?”

Byakuya flinched minutely and turned to take down two glasses before moving to the fridge. “No,” he replied.

“I’m sorry…should I not…?” Renji frowned. He wanted to know everything, dammit. It felt like they had years of catching up to do, and Renji wished he had a damned checklist or folder or something to read so he wouldn’t have to ask all the wrong questions.

“Cold tea?” Byakuya asked calmly, pouring himself a glass from a pitcher.

“Sure,” Renji answered on auto pilot.

_ Fuck I hope we can actually exist outside the bedroom… _

Renji swallowed, nervous again, and followed Byakuya when he moved to sit on the couch. Renji sat down sideways to face Byakuya and sipped his tea – jasmine – before putting the glass down on a stone coaster.

“Renji,” Byakuya said. He opened his mouth and then shut it, eyes down and considering for a painful few seconds. And just when Renji thought he might have a heart attack, Byakuya looked up at Renji with a little smile.

“I’m 29 years old, and I’ve run my family’s company since I was 18,” Byakuya began, matter-of-fact. “I have two Masters’ degrees – business and history. I don’t have many friends, but I like to keep track of everyone in my life in some capacity and actually employ staff to monitor people.” Byakuya rested one arm on the back of the couch, hand curling to brace against his head. Renji’s heart ached a little for reasons unsorted and his hands curled into fists to keep from touching.

“I rarely take vacations, but I love the mountains in winter. My favorite color is silver – like wet, gray pearls. I hate sweets but cannot turn down bananas foster for dessert. I need at least six hours of sleep a night or I’m utterly worthless. My hobbies are few and far between, but I’m a fair hand at painting and I once won a ballroom dancing competition with my wife many years ago.”

The nerves were fading under the soothing waves of Byakuya’s voice, and delight bubbled in Renji’s chest at the idea of Byakuya cutting a rug and winning a trophy. He kept the thought and emotion to himself, however, and Byakuya shifted again, turning to stare out the window. 

“I loved Hisana. Dearly.” Byakuya’s eyelids lowered. “The only time in recent memory that I recall crying was at her funeral. I don’t know what it makes me that I loved her yet want to be with you, now, and I don’t care.” Gray eyes met wide brown. “I defied my family to be with her, and I have done so again to be with you.” His head tilted back, ironic smirk in place. “It appears that my loyalty to my family does not, in fact, supersede my desire to be true to myself. I suppose that makes sense…I’m determined, tend to value justice over mercy, am hardest on myself, and have had to learn to lower my expectations of others else I spend my entire life disappointed and angry.” 

Renji remembered how to breathe and blinked rapidly as Byakuya smiled at him. “I keep a tight reign on myself, and am usually strict about rules and protocol. But one of the things I most enjoy about you is that you undo some of my control. I like that. You…” Byakuya stopped speaking with a tiny frown and little laugh. “You make me exist in the moment, Renji. Ground me down. It pushes me; makes me a better person, and I find that I value that and you very much.” Byakuya’s arm straightened on the back of the couch, fingers lightly touching Renji’s shoulder. Renji thought his arm might burst into flames with the emotion behind such a simple touch.

“Now does that…help?” Byakuya asked. “You appear nervous and overcautious. I stepped down for you. I want you. And even though I find it the height of irony that every woman I’ve dated wanted nothing but commitment and yet I was unable to say such things until you came into my life, I mean it when I say there is none but you. And I would like it to stay that way.”

Renji met Byakuya’s frank gaze and nodded a little, overwhelmed and processing information. Well, he thought, I wanted a manual and I think that was the abridged version of the whole thing.

“Damn,” Renji said finally.

Byakuya chuckled. “Is all of that agreeable to you?”

“Well, sure,” Renji said. “But it’s probably insane to talk like this when we barely know one another.”

Byakuya looked a little shamefaced. “I fear in that I have the advantage; thanks to my niece, I know more of you than you know of me.”

“I’m working on it,” Renji said quietly, smiling a little. He felt warm and knew his face was probably flushed. “It makes me feel better that I wasn’t totally off base about you. I can read situations and people pretty well. Always been good at that.”

“I concur,” Byakuya replied, fingers toying with the fabric of Renji’s shirt.

“I feel like I understand the more complicated things about you but don’t know most of the mundane shit.”

Byakuya laughed outright. “I do love your way with words, Renji.” His eyes danced with good humor. “So, why don’t we work on the ‘mundane shit’ as you say? What would you care to do? I have an abundance of free time, it seems.” 

“Hell, I dunno…You like movies?” Renji asked and then snorted a little in delighted surprise when Byakuya’s face actually lit up.

“I do,” Byakuya replied. He pointed to a long stand with glass doors under a wall-mounted TV. “Collection’s over there.”

Twenty minutes later,  _ Casablanca _ played in a room dimmed by shades Byakuya drew while Renji set up the complicated sound system. Renji had to coax Byakuya into his arms as they settled to watch the movie, but Renji managed and Byakuya only grumbled about it for the first minute or so. Then he relaxed against Renji as they stretched out on the couch and watched the black-and-white pictures flash across the screen. 

An hour into the movie, Byakuya’s breathing changed. Renji gently pet Byakuya’s hair and realized the man dozed, body pliant and peaceful. The feeling of undiluted protectiveness and contentment that stole over Renji damn near took his breath away, and he rubbed light circles on the other man’s back. The fact that Byakuya felt at ease enough to watch a movie and take a nap on Renji’s chest meant more to Renji than ten speeches that recounted Byakuya’s likes and dislikes. But he knew such speeches were Byakuya’s way of telling Renji he was an open book; that Renji could ask or do what he wanted. 

It seemed that Byakuya knew Renji well enough to understand Renji needed both words and deeds to be convinced of emotion. And Renji knew Byakuya well enough to know that gently overriding Byakuya’s protests proved Renji a match for the stubborn man. 

All in all, life was crazy, crazy good, and Renji sighed. The earlier butterflies were gone, lassitude stole over his body, and he held Byakuya and let him rest.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ Was that...Sakura??? Why yes. Yes it was. She lives on the 47th floor of The Heritage. We saw her over in Rhythm & Bruise looking out her window. <3
> 
> ∞ Ah yes...a little more conversation and fluff before we get to more smut. I know, I know...I can't help it. I wanted a sleepy Byakuya all passed out on Renji's chest while they watched a movie. *pets the image*
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	9. Chapter 9

“Mm,” Byakuya grunted and shifted, and Renji’s eyes opened. He wasn’t sleeping, and his hand still rubbed Byakuya’s lower back. The movie was over, blue screen saver playing, and Renji smiled as Byakuya turned his head to blink sleepily at him. 

“Hey there,” Renji said softly.

“I’m sorry,” Byakuya said. And he managed to look all of fifteen when he rubbed the heel of one hand over his eyes. “How long did I sleep?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Outside the day faded slowly into summer evening, and Renji felt like this was another world. They were beyond time and rules and responsibility, here. Together he and Byakuya formed an insulated realm just for the two of them, and Renji hugged Byakuya against his body for lack of words to say how much that meant.

Byakuya made a quiet noise and licked his lips before his nose wrinkled in distaste. “I’m a mess,” he said. 

“Shower?” Renji suggested.

“Perfect.” Byakuya moved to get up.

“Company?” Renji asked, voice a little rough.

Byakuya smiled down at Renji, one foot on the floor and one knee between Renji’s legs. “I don’t think I was going to offer you a choice.”

Renji grinned and got up to follow Byakuya into the master bedroom – silver, blue, and white, tasteful and serene – and then into the bathroom. There was a soaking tub, large glassed-in shower, and lots of tan tile. Renji stared at the counter and noted that all of Byakuya’s things surrounded one of the two sinks. As if using both would be excessive. Renji spotted the familiar symbol that marked Byakuya’s aftershave, and grinned.

After fetching towels – four, Renji noticed – and setting them on a stool, Byakuya started to open the shower door. Renji caught him and pulled Byakuya backward, arms wrapping around his torso and lips kissing over dark hair.

“Renji?”

Renji didn’t answer, merely stepped back and turned, positioning Byakuya against the counter facing the mirror. Reverently, Renji reached up and took out the elastic band holding in one of Byakuya’s braids. Nimble fingers started to undo it, carefully catching the beads as he went. They were heavier than they looked; not beads at all, but something else. Renji held one between thumb and forefinger, studying it.

“They’re stone,” Byakuya said quietly, eyes on Renji in the mirror. “From our quarries. We strip out some of the minerals in the refining process and a few years ago I suggested that the unused material be turned into jewelry. It’s unique – no piece is the same – and Kuchiki Stone now sells such things in boutiques world-wide.” Byakuya smiled. “I have these made for me.” He shrugged a little as if saying he knew it was an indulgence but he allowed it anyway.

“The effect is…nice,” Renji murmured, going back to undoing the braids and making a small pile of stonework on the counter.

“Just nice?” Byakuya teased.

Renji cocked a brow. “Stunning, then. Made me stare back at the bookstore.”

“Oh, is that what you were looking at?” Byakuya asked. His tone took on a note or two of playful and his arms came back to hook thumbs into Renji’s pockets while Renji worked on Byakuya’s hair.

“You need me to tell you how you look?” Renji asked, disbelieving. He started on the second braid. The things were tiny, and he liked watching the dark silk wrap around his fingers. Byakuya’s hair was so soft. Not like Renji’s, which was coarse and thick.

“I don’t  _ need _ you to, no,” Byakuya replied, voice quieter. “I’ve had plenty of women tell me over the years how I appear.”

Renji didn’t miss the gender specification. It was easy to forget that despite Byakuya’s confidence and cool demeanor, he was still…vulnerable, Renji supposed. Renji was a little grateful for that, actually; made him feel like he wasn’t the only idiot opening up his chest and saying, “Look! Wouldn’t this be fun to spear with a dull knife?”

Working the third braid loose, Renji leaned and rested his chin on Byakuya’s shoulder. Their eyes met in the mirror, and Renji’s free hand played along Byakuya’s stomach before his fingers sought skin underneath the t-shirt. 

“Well, this guy can tell you: I’ve never been with or seen anyone else as beautiful as you are, Byakuya.” Renji grinned at Byakuya’s expression, which was equal parts uncomfortable and surprised. 

Byakuya started to say something, but Renji cut him off. “And don’t give me shit for ‘beautiful,’ either. ‘Handsome’ don’t cut it, and if I said ‘breathtaking’ you’d probably hit me. So ‘beautiful’ is what you get.”

“I wouldn’t hit you for ‘breathtaking,’” Byakuya replied. 

Renji snorted and turned Byakuya around, hands on his narrow hips. “Bit of a vain bastard are we?” But he winked and kissed the tip of Byakuya’s nose while his fingers clasped the shirt and started to work it upward.

“No,” Byakuya said with a small shake of his head. Pieces of his hair were crimped from the braids, and Renji thought that was kinda…pretty. 

“I just like that you enjoy what you see,” Byakuya whispered.

With a low noise of affirmation, Renji got the shirt off and tossed it to the side, mouth coming forward to seek Byakuya’s. Lips met and Renji wrapped his arms around his lover, and frowned. His fingers caressed over skin and felt too much bone. His hands came down to Byakuya’s waist and found the jeans hanging on jutting hips. Renji pulled back to study Byakuya and found him no less worthy of the word perfection, but he was also too damned thin. The shock of seeing Byakuya and the sex earlier distracted Renji from noticing it, but here in the light of semi-clarity, the physical evidence that Byakuya did not endure the previous months unscathed made Renji’s heart ache.

“I eat less when stressed,” Byakuya said neutrally.

Renji grunted. “Then we’re ordering pizza for dinner. And you’re eating one on your own.” His fingers splayed over Byakuya’s ribs and smoothed over the skin.

Byakuya chuckled. “If you insist.”

Instead of replying, Renji hugged Byakuya close and slid a hand between them to undo the jeans. Byakuya shifted, letting the denim fall to pool around his ankles, and Renji kissed hair, cheekbone, and then lips lightly as he pulled back. Without a word, Renji kneeled down in front of Byakuya and started to remove thin socks and work Byakuya’s pants off his legs.

“Renji…” 

Renji looked up and saw Byakuya biting his lip and frowning a little. Like he didn’t know what to do or say. Or how to feel.

Renji smiled. “Be still.” His fingers kneaded the skin of Byakuya’s calf. “I like taking care of you. Let me.”

Apparently silenced, Byakuya didn’t resist while Renji got socks and pants off before reaching up and hooking his fingers into the band of Byakuya’s underwear. They were black and of a cut and style with which Renji was not familiar; but they looked damned hot.  _ That _ he knew.

Renji sighed as he carefully removed the last bit of Byakuya’s clothing. He saw Byakuya’s hand grip at the edge of the counter, his cock half-hard and on eye-level with Renji’s face. With a little smile, Renji bent lower and tugged on Byakuya’s right leg. Shifting his weight, Byakuya let Renji lift the leg and settle the foot on his thigh. Renji kissed the inside of Byakuya’s knee several times, not sure why or caring about the reasoning. It just felt right.

Above him, Byakuya stuttered an exhale and reached down to tug the elastic out of Renji’s hair. Hands played on Renji’s scalp and the back of his neck, and Renji leaned forward to rest his cheek against Byakuya’s thigh, eyes closed and hands still caressing Byakuya’s leg and Achilles tendon. At this rate, they were never going to make it to the damned shower, but Renji didn’t care. Moving like this made sense in the dreamlike world built for just the two of them, and he was loath to do anything that might make that world fade away.

Byakuya must have felt some of Renji’s languid contentment, too, because the men stayed that way until finally Renji squeezed Byakuya’s foot and set it back down. He stood, one hand reaching to pull his shirt up and off carelessly, and Byakuya was on Renji immediately. Kisses covered Renji’s shoulder and neck, and Renji let his hands wander aimlessly on Byakuya’s smooth skin while Byakuya worked to undress him. Byakuya moved efficiently, but Renji didn’t let him lean down to get the pants off. Instead, Renji kissed him while he ripped off denim. Tongues met in the middle and lazily stroked against one another, and two pairs of hands touched and gripped at skin. 

Again, Renji was the one to pull away, and he stared at Byakuya’s pouty lower lip and lidded eyes before making himself turn and open the shower door. He got the water on, pulling Byakuya flush against his body while he waited for it to get warm. Renji kissed Byakuya’s hair and temple, one hand rubbing circles on his lower back. 

“These are incredible,” Byakuya murmured, fingertips tracing Renji’s tattoos. It reminded Renji of certain hotel rooms, and he smiled.

“Do they mean things?” Byakuya asked.

“Sort of,” Renji replied. Water warm and steam beginning to fog the glass, Renji maneuvered them into the stall. The spray hit their shoulders and water ran down in fascinating rivers on Byakuya’s skin. Renji felt his cock stir as he took Byakuya’s hand and brought the palm to his lips.

“They remind me of things. This one,” Renji placed Byakuya’s hand on Renji’s left bicep. “Was the first one I got, and it was just after I won a boxing tournament in high school. I knew I wanted dark lines ‘cause that’s how I always saw myself.” Renji paused, thinking about it. “I was sort of…incomplete without the ink, and I knew what it needed to look like and where it should go.”

Byakuya tilted his head and nodded a little; a silent encouragement.

“I got this one next,” Renji moved Byakuya’s hand up to Renji’s neck, forcing the fingers to brush and move. “Thought I was a major badass. First guy I ever cared two shits about left me, so…” Renji shrugged.

“When was this?” 

“Oh…when I was 17 or so, I think,” Renji mused. He smiled and moved Byakuya’s hand down to his chest. “These were next. Big project ‘cause I finally had some cash. Got ‘em after I moved here and worked double shifts for two months to save up. Met Shuuhei, then, in this dive of a place that’s long gone, now. He offered to do ink for me for cheap, since he was learning.”

Byakuya brought his other hand up to trace lines and let Renji continue to move him as he liked. Renji slid Byakuya’s palm down to his stomach, swirling it in circles. Something about this slow, narrated exploration was getting Renji ten shades of hot, and yet he felt no hurry. He was content with the simple touch for now. 

_ I wanna make it burn…see if I can make him beg… _

“He did these and botched ‘em. We’d just got a place together – one bedroom, no space. Smelled like insecticide. He fixed the lines later, though, made ‘em wider and now they’re some of my favorites.”

Renji shrugged casually, but his throat felt thick. He smiled at Byakuya who looked calm, but he was hard and his gaze was focused on Renji’s body like he’d never seen it before.

“Back tats were next. Got promoted. Got a new place.” Renji ran Byakuya’s hand up and down his torso. When Byakuya’s fingers brushed over Renji’s nipple, Byakuya dragged the tips a little harder, pinched lightly. Renji shivered and moved Byakuya’s hand down to Renji’s thigh, switching his grip to hold Byakuya’s wrist. 

“These were the store.” Hands slid up over Renji’s hipbone and around his waist to touch the points over his buttocks. “Fleshed these out as a reward for finishing my designs for eyewear.” Renji grinned. “Shuuhei did ‘em and I think he liked carving ink on my ass a little too much.”

“Can’t say as I blame him for that reaction,” Byakuya muttered, fingers digging into Renji’s lower back. He reached up and traced the lines that rose up from Renji’s forehead to meet his hairline. “And these?”

“Celebration,” Renji replied quietly. “Rukia’s business took off, mine was in the black for the first time. Got drunk, Shuuhei got busy, and woke up the next morning with ‘em. They’re still kinda growing on me.” Renji shrugged.

Byakuya rubbed his thumb over the smooth skin under damp bangs. “They suit you.”

With a smile, Renji brought Byakuya’s palm back to his lips and kissed. “Haven’t gotten any for the eyewear selling out or for you, yet…”

“Me?” Byakuya asked.

“Yeah,” Renji replied, reaching for a bottle on a shelf behind Byakuya. “Think I’ll do my spine. Got some designs for it; just waitin’ on the excuse.”

_ And this excuse is good ‘cause it takes backbone and balls to be with somebody like you, but I really don’t want ink on my nuts. _

“You’d do that?” Byakuya asked, amazement flickering in his words.

Renji grinned. “We’ll see,” he said, but in truth he already knew. But they could talk about what that meant later. Now Renji had a naked and wet Byakuya within arms’ reach, and he planned on taking full advantage. 

Renji uncapped the bottle and paused. The same symbol as the aftershave lotion curled on the front of the container and the scent of cherry blossoms was strong and intoxicating. Renji breathed in deeply and sighed happily as he poured shampoo into his palm.

Without a word, Byakuya ducked under the spray and wet his hair, palms pressed to the tile in front of him. It was erotic in its simplicity, and Renji reached down and squeezed his cock lightly before stepping forward to apply the soap to Byakuya’s hair. Byakuya leaned back and let Renji do as he wished, a soft sound of pleasure escaping from his mouth that Renji barely heard over the water.

“I love the way you smell,” Renji said quietly, not caring if he sounded like a broken record. The scent made him dizzy it was so good. 

Byakuya hummed and Renji took his time massaging hair and scalp. He brushed his thumbs over the tender spots behind Byakuya’s ears and then carefully pushed him back under the water, washing away the soap. The rinse seemed to release the smell, and Renji’d barely managed to clear the suds before he pulled Byakuya back against him, lips at Byakuya’s throat. Renji’s hands came around and up to brush over ribs and then nipples, each finger and thumb finding one and teasing with flicks and pinches.

Byakuya quietly gasped and his hands went down to grip at Renji’s upper thighs, blunt nails digging slightly into the skin. Renji responded in kind, fingers kneading as they pinched harder, rolled flesh with skill, and all the while his mouth sucked at the nape of Byakuya’s neck.

“Oh,” Byakuya breathed. Renji’s mouth moved up the long column of throat to lick and kiss at Byakuya’s ear, and he jerked minutely. Renji smiled.

“Like that?” Renji asked very softly, tongue coming out to trace and lick cartilage. His fingers flicked hardened nipples and one hand moved down to play with the hair below Byakuya’s navel.

“Yeah,” Byakuya husked. 

Renji’s teeth bit into Byakuya’s ear and pulled at the skin. The move earned him a hiss and a shiver, and Renji released Byakuya to turn him around and press him into the tile. Renji’s mouth covered Byakuya’s and his hands brought Byakuya’s arms up to rest on either side of Byakuya’s head. Renji entwined their fingers, kept their lower bodies apart, and kissed Byakuya like he was Renji’s last meal on earth: a slow slip of lips, a long dance of tongue, a nibble and suck on skin, and then the crush and gnash of mouths. Renji kept it up until he couldn’t breathe and had to retreat; but instead of stopping altogether, he suckled at Byakuya’s lower lip until he felt it swell from abuse, and then returned to the kiss with renewed ardor.

_ God I love the way he tastes… _

Renji felt Byakuya press his hands, heard him moan low in his throat. Renji squeezed back and kept kissing as if he were making up for lost time. He didn’t stop until he heard Byakuya whine, and felt him push against Renji’s gentle restraint. Finally Renji pulled away and found Byakuya panting for him. Smiling and kissing the corner of Byakuya’s mouth, Renji set about making his brunette writhe against the tile. He held Byakuya still and kissed his neck until he made a complaining noise. Renji kissed Byakuya’s ears until the man shivered in the hot steam of the shower, and only then did he let the other man go so Renji could start kissing his way down Byakuya’s body.

“Renji...” The name was a quiet plea that turned into a soft grunt when Renji bit and sucked at a nipple along his path. He made short work of it despite Byakuya’s hands digging into his hair and pressing him closer. Undeterred, Renji kissed and licked until he nibbled hipbone.

“Mm, yeah – “ Byakuya gasped above him, legs sliding for purchase on the wet tile beneath them. 

Renji hummed in contentment, eager to earn noises, curses, and sighs. Resting his hands at Byakuya’s waist, he licked the side of Byakuya’s length and then covered it with his mouth in one swift suck.

_ “Ren-ji-!” _ Byakuya nearly spat the two syllables, and Renji looked up at Byakuya while his tongue toyed at Byakuya’s slit with a vicious little dig.

“ _ Shit _ ,” Byakuya hissed, hips twitching to meet heat and trying to get away at the same time. Renji stopped the torture and slid his mouth along the length between his lips with a slow rhythm. Minutes passed measured by the splash of water and the quickening of pulses. Renji’s tongue pressed and caressed, and above him Byakuya began to breathe harder, words spilling from his lips.

“Good, oh god, Renji, it’s… _ nnn-gah _ …!”

Renji shivered when Byakuya whimpered and groaned. But he slowed his pace and moved his mouth off Byakuya’s cock with a light lick to the head. He kissed his way back up Byakuya’s body, and arms clutched around his shoulders with surprising strength. Renji gently brushed back Byakuya’s wet hair; smoothed his fingers through it. He planted a light kiss to the shell of Byakuya’s ear and sighed.

“Not yet,” Renji intoned, voice low. His hands reached down and cupped Byakuya’s ass, squeezing. “You don’t get to come until I’m inside you.”

Byakuya’s breathing was quick and labored against Renji’s neck, and then he shoved at Renji’s chest. Backing away, Renji watched Byakuya grab another bottle and spill soap into his hand. Then a hot mouth covered Renji’s and hands were everywhere. 

Renji helped to smear soap, and skin slipped against each other as bodies shifted and moved. Renji turned his head away to made noises behind pressed lips as Byakuya’s fingers delved between his cheeks and cleaned him inside and out. A low, rumbling, chuckle came from Byakuya’s chest, and Renji answered it with a growl. He slicked his fingers through soapy water and bit at an earlobe as his own hand sought Byakuya’s entrance. Byakuya’s breathing caught and held, but Renji didn’t push inside the other man. Instead, he dropped kisses to the side of Byakuya’s face while the pads of his fingers mercilessly teased the other man. Renji pressed, circled, and rubbed lazily back and forth until Byakuya’s body jerked and his hands fisted in Renji’s hair. With a casual kiss that belied his teasing fingers, Renji let his hand fall away so they could rinse clean.

Time slowed, blurred, and everything became muddled in the press of hard bodies and the rush to continue. Renji remembered slamming the water off. He remembered their tangled, wet dance in the bathroom: tongues lashing, towels half-drying, hands clutching and pulling. Lust and feral need ravaged Renji’s insides, and the two men stumbled into the bedroom and nearly fought one another as they made their way to the tidy bed. Renji got Byakuya’s back to the desired piece of furniture and shoved him down with force before covering the lean body and resuming their kiss. 

Byakuya rolled them, teeth biting at Renji’s mouth, and Renji’s arm went out and swept decorative pillows to the floor. A bank of windows took up the wall to the right of the bed and the orange glow of sunset bathed the room through the half-open blinds. Renji opened his eyes to watch Byakuya’s face as they kissed, and then he rolled them again with a low grunt and a scramble of legs. Renji’s hand slid between them and grabbed both their cocks and stroked.

“Fuck, Renji,  _ fuck _ …” The words were high and loud, and Byakuya’s head went back and he bucked into Renji’s fist.

“Lube?” Renji gasped, shoulders rocking, body demanding, mind whirling.

“In the…but I…” Byakuya leaned forward and Renji heard the other man pant a syllable of near-frustration in his ear. Renji tilted his head, heart pounding, wondering about the delay. Arms circled Renji’s neck and shoulders, and he released himself to gently stroke Byakuya. 

“What is it?” Renji husked. 

“Just something I want,” Byakuya said, voice rumbling and making Renji swallow at the heat in the words. Renji’s eyes closed, but his hand kept working to tease the length in his palm. 

“Anything,” Renji said, voice just above a whisper. He heard Byakuya swallow. “Anything,” Renji said again, and he meant it with every tense muscle in his body.

“I’ve thought of this,” Byakuya said, and the way his voice rumbled made Renji nearly squirm.

“Thought about what?” Renji asked, anticipation twisting in his gut. 

_ God say it…fuck me, please say it… _

Renji felt the smile at his ear. “About you taking me.” Byakuya paused for effect. “About you fucking me, Renji.”

_ Holy shit he said it… _

“Yeah?” Renji asked. He brought his hand up to wet it down with saliva before returning it to Byakuya’s cock. Byakuya moaned in his ear, and pieces of Renji unknotted and gave way to allow even more heat into his bloodstream.

“Yeah,” Byakuya said breathily. “The things in the nightstand…” 

Renji tightened his grip on Byakuya’s dick and he felt teeth nip at his ear, pain lancing in a brief flash before a tongue eased the hurt. “Want you to…use them…” Byakuya gripped at Renji’s shoulder and thrust into his fist. “On me,” he husked.

“Tell me,” Renji ordered, voice rough and edged with intensity so fierce it sounded like anger. The sheer craving Renji felt to have Byakuya under him and begging to come was annihilating anything that existed beyond Byakuya’s body and voice. Renji’s words made Byakuya’s breathing shudder and quicken, and for a second or two there was only rushed air and the rustle of bodies on a slick cover.

“Clamps, plug, lube,” Byakuya growled. “Bottom drawer.”

Renji made a noise that vibrated the roof of his mouth, and he moved fast. His hand caught the drawer pull, paused for two seconds, and then removed everything he thought Byakuya meant. There were a few options down there to choose from, but Renji grabbed the likely candidates.

Renji had no more than rested a fist against the mattress than Byakuya’s mouth was on his again. The kiss was practically painful in its desperation, and Renji collapsed down on the other man. They ground against each other, and Renji got the lube open. He spilled some into his palm and without wasting anymore time, he covered them both and his hand glided without mercy.

“ _ Nnngh-fuck _ !” Byakuya hissed against Renji’s mouth, and for a second or two Renji didn’t think he’d be able to do anything else other than bury himself in Byakuya’s ass. It was too damned heady. Too damned good.

But the thought of Byakuya lying in this bed thinking about Renji fucking him and how he wanted it made Renji shiver and find a little control. He put a leash on the need to fuck and rose up over Byakuya. He didn’t know what the plans were for the plug – which was an oddly-shaped thing that came complete with straps to hold it in place – but he got the clamps into his dry palm and licked a hot line to Byakuya’s left nipple. 

Working the clamp open with his fingers, Renji bit a little savagely at the flesh beneath his lips. He tensed and licked in apology and worried when Byakuya went silent beneath him. Renji looked up when he felt Byakuya move and then froze.

Byakuya looked at Renji with the most naked look of need and hunger and anxiety and…God, Renji didn’t even know what else. The gaze was steady and a pink tongue came out to lick at reddened lips. Renji thought he was going to catch on fire and melt.

“Anything, baby,” Renji said quietly, a little shocked by the term of endearment but deciding to just go with it. He broke the gaze and licked at skin again before bringing the clamp closer. “You just tell me what you want.”

Out of the corner of Renji’s eye he saw Byakuya nod a little and his head went back against one of the few pillows left on the bed. Renji worked the nasty-looking clamp wide with his thumb and moved the cold metal over pink skin. He’d never used this type of clamp before, and son of a bitch it looked like it’d smart. Sort of a…figure-eight, clover-shaped thing.

Carefully, Renji released the clasp and the metal moved and did its job. Anxiety pulled at Renji’s gut and then burned away in an inferno of need when Byakuya’s back arched and his fingers gripped in the covers and at Renji’s shoulder. 

“Oh  _ yes _ .” The body under Renji’s shivered, and Renji moved mouth and the remaining clamp to Byakuya’s other nipple in record time. He repeated the same slow process there, and Byakuya keened a whine that made Renji’s heart drop into his gut.

With a silent vow to clamp Byakuya at every available opportunity, Renji moved up and nibbled at Byakuya’s lower lip. Byakuya seemed lost, eyes shut as he breathed hard and fast. Renji remembered that Byakuya’d never tied anyone up before Renji at the hotel, and thought this had to be the first time he’d ever done this with a partner, too…

_ Yeah…definitely. God, look at him… _

Byakuya’s hair was a tangled mess on the pillow, and his face and body were flushed. Renji kissed neck and cheek and his hand wandered up to lightly pull on the thin chain. Byakuya’s eyes flew open and he turned to kiss Renji with a ferocity that made teeth clack together. Renji didn’t give a shit; he let Byakuya roll them again and his semi-slicked hand went back down to stroke Byakuya with a firm grip.

Byakuya let out a cry that was muffled by their mouths, and then his lips fell away from Renji’s and he buried his face in Renji’s chest. Byakuya murmured incoherent things that all sounded equally urgent and needy, and Renji’s body tensed to move again.

But before Renji could shift them, Byakuya sat up, a determined expression setting his features.

“Roll over,” Byakuya ordered, tone not brokering argument even though his chest heaved. Renji obeyed at once, not caring and half hoping he was about to get fucked into the mattress. Part of him loved the wait and delay and the other part was ready to destroy anything else that got between Renji’s cock and relief. Renji recalled the feeling from the hotel with a flicker of déjà vu. 

Byakuya’s tongue teased Renji’s back, distracting him from thoughts of denial and destruction. Byakuya seemed nearly undone, too; on the edge and ready to fall. Renji started to say something – encourage, ask a question, who knew – but instead he gasped when Byakuya wrenched his cheeks apart. 

_ Oh god…oh god… _

A hot tongue swiped over Renji’s entrance without warning, and Renji’s legs went wider on the bed. 

“Byakuya,” Renji groaned, drawing out the name. Against the bedspread, Renji’s cock jerked and dribbled, and he lay as still as he could manage while Byakuya’s tongue lapped, circled, and then dove inside Renji with a wet glide. Renji turned his face into the pillow and grunted, one hand fisting into the covers. 

“Stop it, god…” Renji said, but the words were incomprehensibly dampened by the fabric over his mouth. “Please…please…”

It was torture; a tease and it made Renji feel helpless again like he had back at the hotel. Renji was at Byakuya’s mercy, and he had a love and hate relationship with that situation.

Byakuya’s mouth fell away, finally, and he spoke in a low, rasp of a voice: “Reach down and hold yourself open for me.”

Renji’s shudder rocked the bed, and his hands moved to obey before his mind could even form the first two words of an opinion. He couldn’t see what Byakuya was doing, and for a second he couldn’t think and didn’t know what was going to happen. It was terrifying – and made him feel icy cold and fiery hot at the same time. 

And then he remembered the plug.

_ Holy shit…really? _

Renji’s eyes went wide, breath damp and hot against the pillow. A warm hand rubbed his lower back, and he felt something press against his entrance. Renji tensed and fussed at himself for it, trying to calm the hell down.

A lithe body covered Renji’s back, cold metal dragging and making Renji shiver. The plug was still outside Renji’s body, gently nudging at the ring of muscle. Byakuya nuzzled Renji’s head to one side, and Renji let him, rolling his face to the open air. He panted and Byakuya kissed Renji’s cheek.

“I want you to fuck me with this plug up your ass so you remember what it felt like to have me inside you.” Byakuya’s low voice rumbled the words quietly against Renji’s temple. Renji had no idea where the man found such control, and he envied him even as his body tightened.

“Oh…fucking…” Renji licked his lips and  _ wanted _ all this so badly that he couldn’t form words. It was…kinky, awful, good, and probably going to kill him. For all his experience, Renji’d never in his life met someone quite like Byakuya.

“Will you let me do that?” Byakuya asked quietly. The plug eased slick and slow into Renji’s body by an inch and paused. 

“Yes,” Renji said clearly. “Yeah…god…do it…”

Byakuya hummed delightedly in Renji’s ear, and Renji thought he would come as the plug slid into his ass with ease. It wasn’t very large, but it was long, tapered, and once seated it pressed gently against his prostate. Renji whimpered.

“Hold still for me,” Byakuya said with another soft kiss to Renji’s face. Obeying, Renji felt Byakuya’s weight shift. The plug moved a little deeper and Renji gasped, his fist white-knuckle-gripping the bedspread. Byakuya’s fingers lightly touched Renji’s skin and he felt fabric wrap around his legs. Renji moved up to all fours to accommodate Byakuya while he secured the straps to hold the plastic in place.

“God,” Renji panted. “Byakuya…god, I…”

Renji didn’t get to finish. Byakuya pulled Renji upright onto his knees and used one hand to force his head to turn and meet Byakuya’s mouth for a kiss. Both men groaned, and Renji broke away to breathe when the plug moved with gravity and his body. It felt good but not  _ too _ good, thank God. But he was still so turned on that he made sure nothing touched his dick as he maneuvered Byakuya around to lie down on his back. 

“Renji,” Byakuya whispered as he settled back against the mattress. 

“Pull on the chain,” Renji growled, words out of his mouth before he even knew what he was going to say. But  _ God _ he wanted to see Byakuya spread and needy and undone. 

Byakuya’s hand moved to obey at once, and he tugged at the clamps and immediately his eyelids fluttered.

“Keep doing that,” Renji ordered. And then, with an evil grin, he told his own body and its demands to go to hell and bent down to swallow Byakuya’s cock while his hand found the lube on the bed again.

“ _ Christ _ !” Byakuya bellowed, and Renji’s dick twitched hard. The lube had a sweet flavor – vanilla, maybe – and Renji sucked and lapped at the cock in his mouth while his hands smeared lube over his palm and fingers. He poured an obscene amount into his palm and smeared it over his dick, and coated digits with the excess.

A whimper broke Renji’s concentration, and he looked up to see Byakuya staring down at him with eyes that were wet at the corners. One hand toyed with the chain, the other toyed with clamped flesh, and he sucked air between his teeth. 

“Fingers. Inside me. Now.”

Renji moaned, shut his eyes, and pushed his index finger past a protesting circle of muscle and deep into Byakuya’s body. Byakuya bucked and Renji caught him with mouth and hand, gently settling him against the bed. 

“ _ Fuck _ , more, now…god…Renji…” Byakuya babbled, and Renji pushed two fingers with purpose inside tight heat. His middle finger grazed and pressed against Byakuya’s prostate, and the man beneath him gasped.

“Fuck me, Renji…god please…I can’t wait any damned longer…”

Ignoring the demand, Renji moved mouth and tongue up and down Byakuya’s cock, and Renji fucked him with his hand.

“Renji,  _ now, goddamit _ !” Byakuya fisted Renji’s hair and tugged – not harshly, but enough to pull Renji up Byakuya’s cock.

A laugh burbled in Renji’s chest, but it came out in a choked noise as he tore his mouth away from Byakuya’s dick. The laugh died another death when Renji caught sight of a half-crazed Byakuya who threw a leg over Renji’s shoulder with flexible grace and yanked him bodily down for a wet kiss. Renji uttered a gasp that Byakuya swallowed as the plug moved and pressed in delicious ways. It was distracting and new and didn’t hold a candle to the way Byakuya ate at Renji’s mouth with eager noises. His leg moved to allow Renji room, and Renji lined himself and began to push inside Byakuya with one practiced roll of his hips.

Byakuya stopped kissing and panted against Renji’s lips, eyes closed. He choked on a sound that made Renji push inside a little harder, and Byakuya rose up to meet the stroke. 

“Burns, burns…oh fuck me,  _ yes _ …” Byakuya’s head went back and his fingernails dug into Renji’s shoulder.

The sensation of filling and being filled overrode all else, and awareness left Renji and his body moved on its own accord. He sank into Byakuya and held still, waiting. His forehead rested on Byakuya’s shoulder, and Renji’s hand came down to stroke Byakuya’s cock, which was slightly softer. Renji held himself still inside the other man and managed to turn his head. Renji had no idea what he said: something about heat and want and how good it all was. How much he wanted to be there, how much he wanted to move, how hot Byakuya got him, how good the plug felt. 

After a long minute of softly-spoken dirty talk, Byakuya lifted himself up into Renji’s hand and made a soft sound as it forced Renji to move inside of him, too.

Renji shifted over Byakuya, and studied Byakuya beneath him. Renji was a hot beastly thing composed of need and not much else. And it was made worse by the debauched Byakuya who clutched at Renji and moved his impaled body with a soft hiss at the friction.

Renji kissed Byakuya’s forehead. “I love every goddamned kinky thing about you, Byakuya.” Renji felt his eyes burn with the intensity of his stare as he grinned a feral grin down at the man beneath him. “And I’m gonna fuck you ‘til you cry.”

Byakuya said something – garbled and guttural – and Renji braced himself and moved. He saw Byakuya’s face twist in pleasure and pain, and Renji made himself move slow and shallow. After a few thrusts, he rebalanced his weight so a free hand could caress Byakuya’s side; over the clamped flesh, up the leg over his shoulder. Byakuya pushed up to meet Renji, and his mouth fell open when Renji got the rhythm and aim just right. Renji clasped Byakuya’s body and held him steady and repeated the motion with a slowly-increasing pace and force. He sank just far enough in to make Byakuya moan and not far enough to hurt him.

“Renji…” Byakuya almost sounded normal, but his gray gaze was cloudy with lust. Barely missing a beat, Renji bodily turned Byakuya onto his side, thrusting deeper now while one knee slid under Byakuya’s top leg to brace it. 

“Holy shit,” Byakuya called out and then his cries became wordless moans. Renji let himself go and felt the plug hitting and moving against his insides. It was torture, as he was sure Byakuya knew it would be. He felt full and hot and feverish, and the sensation made his heart pound in triple time and put him on edge. Sweat poured off Renji’s skin and dripped onto Byakuya as purpose and promise kept him going.

“Byakuya,” Renji husked. “Unclamp ‘em.” It was a gut feeling and nothing more; a desire without conscious thought. Renji’s instincts knew this would help get Byakuya where he wanted to be, and that was all Renji cared about.

With a long, low, moan, Byakuya obeyed, and Renji saw his fingers shake. The clamps came off and fell to the bed in a pool of chain, and Byakuya didn’t breathe for a long few seconds. Renji smiled to himself, knowingly, and reached down to lightly brush his finger over an angry bit of flesh.

Byakuya called out and jerked hard, head going back in a painful angle. Renji saw Byakuya reach down for his cock, and he grabbed Byakuya’s wrist. 

“Not yet, baby,” Renji said. “Hands and knees.”

Together Byakuya and Renji moved until Renji was behind Byakuya. Renji regretted the loss of Byakuya’s face until Byakuya twisted to look over one shoulder.

“More,” Byakuya said. His breathing was all over the place, and muscles shook and clenched. Renji grabbed a handful of midnight hair and began to piston in and out of the insane heat around his dick. The plug up his ass in this position quickly threatened to blindside his control, his body clamping down with every thrust in and making pleasure sing a siren song.

Byakuya gasped, hand down between his legs and stroking. He shuddered and relaxed into the way Renji moved him; met Renji when he could and braced himself against the onslaught. Renji was beyond thought and barely managed to find threads of composure. His world narrowed to rhythm, delay, and angles, and Byakuya murmured words of encouragement, gasped in pleasure, and groaned. Renji never lost rhythm until he felt Byakuya’s internal walls flex and his legs tremble.

“Close, baby?” Renji husked and tugged sharply on his hair.

Byakuya’s head rolled with Renji’s hand, and he looked back at him, eyes at half mast and covered by damp eyelashes. He didn’t answer, and Renji knew he couldn’t. 

“Good,” Renji snarled. “’cause you’re gonna come with my cock poundin’ into your tight ass and dick shootin’ in your hand.” Renji’s lips pulled back to bare teeth and he loved it when Byakuya moaned and worked himself faster, the sound of wet flesh-on-flesh loud in the room.

“And I’m gonna watch and fill ya like you filled me.” Renji thrust into Byakuya with a powerful, fast twitch of hips that made Byakuya grunt with every slide. 

“ _ Goddamn _ …so…hot.” 

Renji’s chin ducked down, and he felt sweat slither down his spine. He dug his fingers into Byakuya’s skin.

“Tight, Byakuya…fucking  _ hell _ , baby...”

Byakuya cried out a warning shout and Renji growled low in his chest. The end was so close that it burned his tongue and his thighs were numb. 

_ “Mine.” _

Renji barely managed to pant the word and the use of language left. Byakuya stopped breathing and came with a muffled whine. Renji saw white hit the dark covers in thick ropes, and Byakuya’s body froze and shuddered so hard his arm gave out with his weight. Renji watched with savage pride and possession as Byakuya’s face crumbled in release, and he let go of Byakuya’s hair else he pull it out at the roots. The clamp of muscles around his dick and the clench of his own ass around the plug were too fucking right, and Renji came with a loud, cut-off cry three thrusts later. Release shot through his dick with flaring pressure, and Renji held onto Byakuya with a bruising grip. 

Body beyond his control, Renji managed to slide out of Byakuya before falling down next to him on the bed. Neither man said a word, but they steamed the air with frantic breathing for a long time. 

Renji jerked out of a daze when Byakuya whimpered a little as he moved, and Renji responded with a soft noise as he rolled to put his hand on a pale back. After a second, he frowned and dug the nipple clamps out from under him, tossing them to the floor. With a grimace he undid the strap around one thigh and the plug followed the clamps a heartbeat later. Renji felt spent, exhausted, sore, and perfect.

Next to Renji, Byakuya’s breathing was steady and soft, and Renji hummed as he curled around the other man. Dark hair concealed Byakuya’s face, and Renji brushed it back, kissing shoulder and cheek and neck. The room smelled like sweat, sex, and sakura, and contentment rocked Renji with a bad case of vertigo. But he grinned when he saw a tiny smile on Byakuya’s lips and he leaned down to feather-kiss Byakuya’s ear.

“Yours.”

“Hm?” Renji rumbled, nuzzling Byakuya’s neck.

“I’m yours,” Byakuya repeated.

“Good,” Renji replied. “’cause there’s only you for me, too, ya know.”

Byakuya murmured something soft and sleepy, and Renji relaxed against the mattress, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, Byakuya was lying on his stomach facing Renji. The room was dark, but the light from the bathroom let Renji see that Byakuya was awake and watching him.

“Hey,” Renji grunted. “What time is it?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Byakuya murmured. “Pizza comes 24 hours of the day.”

Renji chuckled, voice hoarse. “Thank God. I’m fuckin’ starving.”

Byakuya smiled and caught Renji’s chin with thumb and forefinger. “Order food, clean up, another movie?”

“Yeah,” Renji said with a happy sigh. 

“And Renji?” 

“Hm?”

“If you ever call me, ‘baby’ in public, I’ll kill you.”

Renji’s eyes opened and the room filled with his laughter and then with Byakuya’s unhappy cries and curses when Renji tackled him and smeared their bodies together as Renji showed Byakuya exactly what he could do with his idle threat.

~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞ Smut, smut, smut, all day long. :D
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


	10. Chapter 10

“Two pitchers on me, kids,” Renji called over Ikkaku’s raucous – and somewhat maniacal – laughter at something Kisuke said.

“Hell yeah they’re on you, Abarai!” Ichigo yelled back. “Lazy, disappearing bastard!”

Renji grinned and sat back down at the large, round table with his friends. Deathtoll – shortened to just “DT” usually – was a grimy bar owned by a scary fucker named Sphinx. Word had it that he was some sort of gang banger and dealt in shady deals and with the people who agreed to them. But he also ran a damned good bar with seriously hot staff and better-than-good music. There were over 100 beers on tap, and the garlic bread knot things were to die for.

“Told you,” Renji retorted, pouring himself a glass with the perfect amount of head. “Been busy.” He smirked. 

“My ass,” Ichigo slurred.

_ No, usually mine, actually. _

“When’s Rukia getting here?” Shuuhei asked. He and Renji exchanged a look, and the tattoo artist’s lips twitched. Shuuhei knew Renji’d been holed up with Byakuya for the last two weeks, and he knew some of the intimate details. Renji needed him to run Howl, after all, and Shuuhei’s price for the labor was details and a few websites to find some new toys. 

“Soon,” Renji replied. 

“And I trust all will be revealed once the lovely lady appears?” Kisuke asked. He smiled at Renji, eyes in the shadow of his wide, black hat. Bastard probably knew, too; he had one hell of an information network.

“You’d be right,” was all Renji said.

“This better be good, Abarai,” Yumichika – Yumi to his friends – said disdainfully, sipping at his wine. He didn’t drink beer. “We’ve been worried.”

Renji knew without clarification that “we” meant Yumi and Ikkaku. 

“I don’t think you’ll be disappointed for showin’ up,” Renji replied vaguely. Shuuhei snorted and killed his second beer.

“Sorry we’re late,” said a semi-breathless voice. Renji turned in his chair to see Jyuushiro grab a chair and collapse into it, Shunsei right behind him to nudge the chair and his partner closer to the table. Jyuushiro looked flushed and immediately reached for an empty glass. Shunsei looked smug as he sat down with one hand on the back of Jyuushiro’s chair.

“Getting Shunsui anywhere on time is a challenge at best,” Kisuke quipped.

Jyuushiro smiled, pouring beer. He looked refined in his white shirt and dark jeans. Shunsui, true to form, looked like he’d snagged clothing off the laundry pile of a bad Hawaiian hotel. Yasutora would approve, Renji thought.

“This is true,” Jyuushiro commented. “Did we miss anything?”

“If you did, we all did,” Ikkaku muttered. 

“We’re waiting on – “ Ichigo began but was interrupted when Rukia quite suddenly appeared between Ichigo and Kisuke, her hands slamming down on the table as she glared at Renji. 

“Where the  _ hell _ have you been?” the tiny woman growled. She wore a dark suit without a tie and looked ready to run Renji through with a spoon.

“Nice to see you, too,” Renji replied, grinning.

“Dammit, Renji! Do you have  _ any _ idea…” Rukia paused. Then sighed. “Ichigo. Pour me a beer.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ichigo replied with a small smile and started filling a glass. Rukia walked around the table and bent slightly to hug Renji about the neck. 

“You jerk,” she whispered in Renji’s ear. “I’ve been dying to talk to you. So much is going on…”

Rukia sounded upset, and Renji pulled her arms from around his shoulders and looked at her. “What’s wrong?” he asked, hoping it was nothing more than what he already knew.

Sitting down in a chair that Kisuke scooted to her, Rukia sighed. “Thanks,” she said, taking the glass full of amber liquid from Ichigo. “Nothing. Everything. I don’t know. It’s Uncle.”

The table grew quiet. Rukia rarely ever mentioned Byakuya, and Shuuhei threw a look at Renji, who glanced at him and shook his head.

“What about him?” Renji asked. He was pretty sure he knew; okay, make that  _ damned  _ sure he knew. And he felt guilty for being absent, but Byakuya was fucking persuasive with his, “Let’s stay in and fuck for a couple of weeks until I understand exactly what I like in bed, shall we?”

“He stepped down as CEO, then he all-but vanishes, which isn’t so unusual, but there’s rumors flying, the tabloids are having a field day, and  _ I’m _ bloody getting calls from the higher-ups at Kuchiki Stone asking me what the hell’s wrong with Uncle.” She sighed and drained half her glass.

Jyuushiro leaned forward. “Rukia; that’s terrible.” He sounded genuinely concerned but Shunsui looked at Shuuhei who looked at Renji. Ichigo watched the looks fly around the table and frowned. 

“Hey, what’s with all the -“ Ichigo started, but Kisuke leaned over and said something in the blond’s ear. Ichigo’s scowl deepened and he pulled back to look at Kisuke. “You’re shitting me,” he said softly.

“We missing something?” Ikkaku said quietly, leaning toward Yumi. 

“Most likely,” Yumi replied. “But I suspect things will unfold shortly.”

“Huh?” Ikkaku retorted, turning to look at Yumi. Then he followed the lovely man’s gaze and his eyes widened as he saw an intensely attractive brunette walking with purpose toward the table.

“Aw, Rukia, I’m sorry,” Renji said, his back to the approaching man. Shunsui nudged Jyuushiro, who frowned and then looked at the interloper along with everyone else at the table save Rukia and Renji.

“It’s okay,” Rukia said. “It’s not like it’s your fault.”

“Oh, on the contrary,” Byakuya said as he stopped behind Ikkaku’s chair. “I fear he had much to do with the current situation.” Renji froze along with most of his friends.

“Kuchiki,” Kisuke said.

“Urahara,” Byakuya replied without looking at the man.

Rukia jumped to her feet. “Uncle?” she said, thoroughly shocked. “What are you doing here?”

“Dude,” Ichigo said to Renji with a shake of his head. “You’re so dead.”

“What?” Rukia asked, tearing away her gaze from Byakuya to look at Ichigo. 

“I do foresee quite the beating in the future, yes,” Kisuke quipped, one hand covering his mouth.

“Oh dear,” Jyuushiro said, blinking as Shunsui pulled away from his ear. He shot a glance at Kisuke and sighed. “Kuchiki, it’s a pleasure to see you.” 

“And you, Ukitake,” Byakuya said kindly as he made his way around the table to Renji.

Renji winced as he felt hands on the back of his chair. Rukia looked at her uncle and then at Renji, incomprehension forming new lines in her forehead.

“For the record?” Renji said contritely to his best friend. “This ‘surprise my niece’ thing was all his idea.”

“And I suppose that makes you the utterly blameless bystander?” Byakuya intoned, voice like silk as his hands slid into Renji’s hair. He had it loose tonight, and Renji let Byakuya turn his head to look up at him. Renji’s breath caught when he saw the tiny glasses perched across his lover’s nose.

_ Damned…conniving…sexy…ass… _

Renji’s lips parted, and he sighed as Byakuya stroked Renji’s hair.

Rukia made a strangled noise.

“Holy fuck,” Ikkaku said.

“I’m sure there’s nothing ‘holy’ about it,” Yumi replied.

“Amen to that,” Shuuhei muttered.

“I’m going to kill you for keeping such a secret,” Jyuushiro said without looking at his lover.

“I rather enjoy your ‘killing’ sprees, Shiro,” Shunsui said softly, putting an arm around the white-haired man’s shoulders.

“Renji?” Rukia asked. “Uncle?” Her voice was an octave higher, and she blinked a few times.

“Having fun, yet?” Renji asked. Byakuya smiled, made a show of taking the glasses off and putting them in a pocket, and bent down, letting his hair spill over his shoulder. He wore a soft, dark shirt and gray slacks and looked typically godlike. The beadwork was intricate tonight, and Byakuya’s scent made Renji relax on reflex.

“More than I’ve had in years,” Byakuya replied. His eyes danced and he bent to kiss Renji’s mouth, and Renji sighed into the chaste press of lips.

“Well,” Ichigo said, getting up. “I’m obviously gonna need something stronger than fuckin’ beer.”

“I suggest finding bandages while you’re at it,” Kisuke said helpfully.

“Rukia,  _ breathe _ ,” Shuuhei said.

But Rukia’d gone an extraordinary shade of red. She watched her uncle kiss her best friend for a long couple of seconds. 

“I’m going to kill all of you,” she said with surprised but absolute certainty. “Slowly. Painfully. And I’m going to fucking enjoy it.”

“Have you noticed that our little group isn’t happy unless there are death threats going around?” Kisuke asked Shuuhei conversationally.

“Seems that way,” Shuuhei solemnly agreed.

Byakuya broke away from Renji’s mouth and smiled.

“I knew you were trouble,” Renji said quietly.

“And do you like this trouble?” Byakuya asked with a quirk of an eyebrow.

“Nah. I fuckin’ love it.” Renji grinned.

The two men kissed again despite the loud groans from half the table, Rukia loudest among them. It took several pitchers, more than one round of shots, and enough detailed information to make Ichigo leave early, but at the end of the night, Byakuya was no longer merely the corporate, cold, distant uncle. And Renji became more than just a solid friend amidst the pack in which he often took the role of pretty, rough-and-tumble, playboy.

Now the two were together, remade into something stronger by being two halves of a whole, and Renji didn’t care if it was sappy or silly. And Byakuya didn’t care that certain members of family were pitching a stoic fit. The family that mattered coughed up her blessing with a sloppy kiss to both Renji and her uncle’s cheeks and another cry for tequila. Shunsui raised his shot glass and made a long, flowery toast to love and friendship, and they all drank heartily.

Renji leaned into Byakuya and thought that sitting next to one another surrounded by friends was just…right. It was simple, easy, and true. Renji felt the affirmation from head to heels, and he smiled at Byakuya, who returned the simple bit of affection. 

It was a good night to be Renji. But then  _ most _ nights were good ones to be Renji. 

Because now Byakuya slept on his back with his arms wrapped around his lover, fingers tangled in Renji’s hair. And most nights Renji fell asleep thanking the Universe for bookstores, closets, and the new games he and Byakuya dearly loved to play.

~*~

_ /fine _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! 
> 
> ∞ For all information about Monoshizukanohi that you never knew you wanted to know, click [HERE](http://demented-dee.livejournal.com/12226.html).
> 
> ∞ I don’t own any characters in any fandom; I just entice them into doing things they never thought possible. The originals though, if present, are all mine. I also own the world, Monoshizukanohi, and all the places therein. 
> 
> ∞ Want more? Check out my other stories here or head over to my [Demented-Ink headquarters](https://www.demented-ink.com/). And make sure to stop by [Smoke Signals](https://www.demented-ink.com/smoke-signals) and keep in touch!
> 
> Much light, more love, and many, many baked goods.  
> ♥Dee


End file.
